Rachel Reese


Rachel Hadley Reese is a New Zealand local-body politician. She is the mayor of Nelson, having been elected in October 2013. Her election made her Nelson's first female mayor.

Early life

Reese was born in Mosgiel and grew up in Dunedin. She attended St Hilda's Collegiate School, leaving at aged 16 to enter the University of Otago from where she graduated with a commerce degree at age 19. She has since worked in Mount Isa and Melbourne in Australia, as well as in Auckland. She moved to Nelson in about 1997, her family having connections in the area, with her parents owning property on Arapaoa Island in the Marlborough Sounds.

Political career

Reese was first elected to the Nelson City Council in 2007. She was again elected in 2010 when she became deputy mayor, losing the mayoral race to Aldo Miccio with 4722 votes to his 6077. In 2013 she was elected mayor, beating Miccio by 7477 votes to 6048 in a 48.74% voter turnout.
Rachel Reese romped to victory again in the 2016 local body election securing over 60 per cent of the vote having received 11,364 of a total 18,707 votes. Her closest opponent, current councillor Peter Rainey received 5,050.
In 2016 Reese was elected onto the Local Government New Zealand national council and in June 2017 was nominated for the role of President following the announcement that current President, Lawrence Yule, was standing down.

Personal life

Reese married her long-time partner, English-born former cricketer Richard Harden, in January 2017. They have three children between them.