In 1974, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors.

Incumbent Mayor Dove-Myer Robinson was re-elected seeing off a challenge from Labour Party candidate Jim Anderton, who won a seat on the council despite losing the mayoralty.

Grahame Sims, the retiring town clerk, ran for mayor and accused Robinson of being a Citizens & Ratepayers stooge.

This followed the C&R deputy mayor Lindo Ferguson endorsing Robinson for the mayoralty.

Sims called it "seat warming", insinuating Ferguson would run for mayor at the next election.