Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race

Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, August 12th, 2022 - 35 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, efeso collins, local government, supercity, uncategorized - Tags:

Self described tough man Leo Molloy has found the going too tough and has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.  The cause was allegedly the release of a Curia poll which showed Molloy’s support sagging.  From Radio New Zealand:

Auckland businessman Leo Molloy has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.

Molloy said polls suggested he would not win the election.

Withdrawing was the “right thing to do for the city”, he said.

“I’m deciding to withdraw immediately and, in doing so, potentially help other candidates – who won’t do as a good a job as I would have – but at least will be better than the dispiriting status quo we’ve had under Phil Goff and this Labour mayoralty,” Molloy said in a statement.

“Cowboys don’t cry. I’m getting on with my other life as a hospo legend,” the statement said.

Molloy did not endorse another candidate but said he may do so once he had scrutinised their policies in more detail.

The report suggested that Ted Johnson was performing remarkably well and was reacking 6% support which is a surprise.  It is likely that he is eating into Efeso’s support.  Johnson is also Samoan and is based in South Auckland.

Wayne Brown is second on 19% and Viv Beck’s support also dropped to 13%.

Nominations have just closed and it will be interesting to see who else puts up their hand.

35 comments on “Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race ”

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  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    12 August 2022 at 1:13 pm

    What an all round pest Mr Molloy is. Oh well, John Palino is back apparently–what about his assistant Luigi Wewege?

  2. Chris 2
    12 August 2022 at 1:13 pm

    Expect a bigger bombshell fairly shortly.

  3. Robert Guyton 3
    12 August 2022 at 1:28 pm

    See ya later, alligator.

  4. Robert Guyton 4
    12 August 2022 at 1:30 pm

    "Cowboys don’t cry"

    Has Molloy not watched … Brokeback Mountain 🙂

  5. AB 5
    12 August 2022 at 1:43 pm

    The talent for self-aggrandisement shows through even when withdrawing from the race to avoid the indignity of losing. Right-wing blokes – they'd be a joke if they didn't have so much power to do harm.

    • Robert Guyton 5.1
      12 August 2022 at 1:46 pm

      So, knowing that he was temporary, what was his role 🙂

    • woodart 5.2
      12 August 2022 at 3:04 pm

      looking at things with a glass half full attitude,, nz didnt take to molloys minitrump act. perhaps we arent captured by these boofheads like the u.s. seems to be.

    • swordfish 5.3
      12 August 2022 at 8:12 pm

      .

      Right-wing blokes – they'd be a joke if they didn't have so much power to do harm.

      Right-wing blokes and Woke dogmatists of both sexes.

  6. Ad 6
    12 August 2022 at 2:02 pm

    So how much of Molly's support breaks to Wayne Brown?

    Or Viv Beck?

    This withdrawal doesn't strengthen Efeso's chances.

    • Robert Guyton 6.1
      12 August 2022 at 3:10 pm

      Yeah, it does. Those "Molloy" fan-bois don't want a woke-flake like Brown – they'll just not vote 🙂

      • Alan 6.1.1
        12 August 2022 at 3:15 pm

        Don't you live in Southland Robert – how would you know what Auckland local body voters are thinking???

      • Belladonna 6.1.2
        12 August 2022 at 6:25 pm

        Well, there might be a tiny minority of Molloy supporters who'd pack up their marbles and go home without voting; but the majority will just divert to another 'right' (or at least not 'left') wing candidate.

        Beck for the sane, Brown for the more unhinged – would be my pick.

        Not good news for Collins – who was the major beneficiary of the splintering of the right vote.

  7. heather tanguay 7
    12 August 2022 at 3:31 pm

    Leo Malloy would have been a complete disaster for the City of Auckland, thank goodness he has had the sense to see it. I agree with Robert Guyton, his supporters will not vote! what kind of people would have supported him?

    • Robert Guyton 7.1
      12 August 2022 at 3:56 pm

      All hat.

      • woodart 7.1.1
        12 August 2022 at 4:00 pm

        and no cattle. his team? was rapidy disappearing. to know him is to loathe him. was run out of town(p.n.) yrs ago. not welcome back.

    • Belladonna 7.2
      12 August 2022 at 6:26 pm

      Sadly, for the Left, white, middle class voters are much more likely to actually vote – as we see in the polls every election.

  8. Mac1 8
    12 August 2022 at 3:40 pm

    "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" was somewhat misread by Mr Molloy. Gone before he lost his deposit?

  9. Tiger Mountain 9
    12 August 2022 at 3:47 pm

    Wayne Brown is nothing if not an operator. He became Far North Mayor basically due to name recognition across the region. For years Far North local Govt. has been parochial and people are known in say Kerikeri or Kaitaia or Kaikohe or Hokianga, but not the whole district, which Brown was. He campaigned on sacking Council Staff and denigrated them at public meetings!

    Metro Magazine tagged him for suspending standing orders when at Auck. DHB. As FNDC Mayor for two terms he waged a vendetta against PSA members and sacked a number of Council staff. He rearranged rating burdens from Farming/commercial to residential. He travelled to ‘sister cities’ in China and Canada on ratepayers funds to try and set up Far North mining operations. He tried to despoil Mangonui Harbour with a marina that community action had previously rejected and stopped. He used inside information for personal development projects. He moved the footpath outside his residence in the Mangonui 4 Square building towards the road, to park his Jeep, and created a nice traffic pinch point.

    If Aucklanders vote for this guy, or more likely he sneaks through the middle on a very light vote return, they have rocks in their heads.

  10. Incognito 10
    12 August 2022 at 4:30 pm

    Odd, I thought Molloy had more mongrel in him and was a tougher fighter who’d not give up so quickly. And just because of the polls? He’s not even that far behind and still may have a ‘fighting chance’!?

    • Matiri 10.1
      12 August 2022 at 5:56 pm

      As my Mum would say "All mouth and no trousers!!"

    • Belladonna 10.2
      12 August 2022 at 6:28 pm

      I agree. I wonder if he'd been given advance notice that something was about to drop to his discredit? It would have to be major – there have been so many scandals – that it's mostly water off a ducks back….

  11. observer 11
    12 August 2022 at 5:06 pm

    National have dodged a bullet here.

    They didn't endorse Molloy (Beck is their candidate, although not official). But if he'd won (however unlikely) then we would have had a year of Leo language, directed at the PM and her "softcock" friends.

    Nice Mr Luxon, on the news in 2023: "I do not condone … not the language I would have used … as the father of a daughter … can we please talk about something else?".

    He'll be breathing a sigh of relief today.

    • Mike the Lefty 11.1
      13 August 2022 at 10:26 am

      National never officially endorse a local body candidate because their official line is to "keep politics out of local bodies".

      But a scroll through the lists of local body candidates throughout the country would probably reveal many former National candidates standing for local bodies, in many cases using a dusted-off slightly updated blue background billboard.

      Two examples I have seen are William Wood in Palmerston North and Jo Hayes standing for mayor in Masterton.

      Jo Hayes is all about opposing Three Waters so naturally National would want her to win so you can't tell me they aren't supporting her.

      So National's public line of keeping politics out of local body is as hollow as National themselves.

      At least Labour and the Greens admit that they have party-backed candidates.

  12. Belladonna 12
    12 August 2022 at 9:12 pm

    Analysis from Bernard Orsman at the Herald (don't think it's paywalled) on likely fall out from Molloy throwing in the towel.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-mayoralty-leo-molloy-quits-what-does-it-mean-for-the-election/OUSEORJ3SWMESYBLCHXXHMMZLQ/?c_id=1&objectid=12544610&ref=rss

    The big question is where does Molloy's angry, anti-establishment vote go? At this stage, Molloy is not endorsing any other candidate, but that could change.

    If the polls are sending a consistent message, it's that Aucklanders are tiring of a left-leaning mayor and want change. This is borne out by Collins' poll numbers, which are stuck in the mid 20s.

    In the previous four mayoral contests, Len Brown and Phil Goff secured 50 per cent of the vote by treading a middle path that appealed to centre-right voters. Collins is caught between representing the status quo and being captured by the left.

    If a majority of Aucklanders can coalesce around Brown or Beck, then the left's hold on the mayoral chains could be coming to an end.

  13. Blazer 13
    13 August 2022 at 11:39 am

    Molloy=a diminutive loudmouth-'the little engine…that couldn't.'

  14. Robert Guyton 14
    13 August 2022 at 11:57 am

    Would Molloy call himself a "girl's blouse" now?