In 1915, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors.

John Luke, the incumbent Mayor, retained office tallying just ten votes fewer than he did two years earlier.

In mid-1915 the war was still supported by the bulk of the population, thus the Labour mayoral candidate Charles Chapman performing much poorer than expected, when only three years earlier (before the war) Wellingtonians voted in the city's first Labour mayor.

[1] The Labour movement had restored some unity between the moderate and militant factions (helped by mutual opposition to conscription) and both factions agreed on a single candidate for the mayoralty, and a reduced but joint ticket for the council.

However, the expected nadir in support in the face of jingoistic opponents came to fruition with none of the six Labour candidates elected to the council.