The incumbent mayor, former Labour MP and government Minister Lianne Dalziel, who was first elected in the 2013 mayoral election was reelected, winning a commanding 83.9% of formal votes cast in the poll.

[2] There were three candidates:[3][4] The left-leaning ticket, The People's Choice, represented on the outgoing city council by six councillors, declared that they would not stand a candidate in opposition to Dalziel – and councillor Paul Lonsdale, who came second in the 2013 mayoral campaign, acknowledged that Dalziel had done well in her first term and that he would not challenge her.

[7] The Press hosted a debate between Dalziel and Minto at the Cardboard Cathedral on 20 September,[8] moderated by its editor, Joanna Norris.

[9] The following day, Guyon Espiner interviewed Dalziel and Minto on RNZ National's Morning Report.

[10] Generation Zero hosted a debate at the University of Canterbury's Ilam campus on 22 September 2016.