The electorate was won by Terry McCombs of the New Zealand Labour Party, succeeding his mother.

[2] The United-Reform Coalition who were operating under the name "National Political Federation" selected Melville Lyons as their candidate.

[3] The New Zealand Democrat Party's leader Albert Davy declined to stand a candidate in the by-election.

He believed that the by-election was a waste of money given the close proximity to the 1935 general election.

This meant that his family held the seat for 38 years ever since his father's win in the Lyttelton by-election of 1913.