Businesswoman Jacquie Grant is 64 votes ahead in Westland's mayoral contest. Photo: Facebook
Westland District may be about to get New Zealand's oldest and second transgender mayor.
Hokitika businesswoman Jacquie Grant, 82, leads the tight mayoral race, but only by 64 votes, against incumbent Helen Lash.
If elected, Grant would become New Zealand's second transgender mayor, after the late Georgina Beyer became the world's first openly transgender mayor in Carterton 30 years ago.
Grant told RNZ that being her age and transgender was "probably fairly unique".
"Most people my age are getting ready for a ride on the zimmer frame," she said.
"Age is just a number and the transgender thing is really... I think people in Westland are more interested in what's between my ears than what was between my legs 55 years ago."
Provisional local election results would be confirmed on Sunday and final results declared on 16 October.
"I believe there were 400 votes left to count, but it's trending in the right way," she said.
Grant, who runs a sock shop, was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community in 1997 and promoted to Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018.
Grant has campaigned on capping rates and taking back control, and said people in Westland wanted real change.
"They're suffering, because of the high rates bills, and they want someone who's got the balls, I guess, to do it," she said. "People just can't afford to keep paying and paying, and we need to get that message through to central government."
Grant described just how tough some were doing it in her community.
"I've got neighbours who are living in one room in winter, because they can't afford to heat their house," she said. "That's not the way we want to live in New Zealand.
"People who own their own homes should be reasonably rich or well off, but they're not - they can't afford to maintain them."
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