Mayoral fight: And it's goodnight from him | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

In what must surely rank as one of the shortest mayoral bids in history, Masterton businessman Ed Perry has pulled out of the contest.

Mr Perry put his name forward on Wednesday but had a change of heart within about 24 hours and on Thursday withdrew.

His is the second mayoral defection in a week and the third in the lead-up to the campaign, after expected front-runner Georgina Beyer abandoned her attempt on financial grounds. Radio announcer Brent Gare threw his hat in the ring early in the piece, only to pull out several weeks later.

Mr Perry's reasons are different.

He said he had changed his mind after having taken a good, hard look at the work being done by incumbent Garry Daniell.

"That's when I had second thoughts," he said.

"Garry works hard, especially behind the scenes, and three years is not long enough for him to be mayor.

"Being on council with him, I have seen that he guides the ship in a professional way and by wearing pretty tight gloves with the ratepayers in mind."

His withdrawal from the mayoral contest means Mr Perry remains on the ballot paper only as an urban council candidate.

He topped the poll in the urban ward at his first council attempt three years ago.

With less than a day to the closing off of nominations for local body positions, the Masterton mayoral contest was between Mr Daniell and challengers Garry Caffell and Toi Walker.

Today was the final day for local nominations, closing at noon.

The nominees will be tallied by election staff but the latest registered candidates for Masterton District Council's urban ward include Nicholas Dench and Steph Gundersen-Reid.

David Holmes is standing for the at large ward, Steve Blakemore for the Masterton Licensing Trust, and Heaton Haglund for Masterton Trust Lands Trust.

Meanwhile, former Masterton District councillor Owen Perry put his name forward for the Blenheim ward of the Marlborough District Council yesterday.

Mr Perry, now living in Fairhill, spent a term from 2004 on the Masterton District Council, chairing its Maori liaison committee.

In Masterton he devoted a day a month to standing in the town with a sign that invited people to talk to him and said he would repeat the strategy in Marlborough if elected.

Mr Perry works in marketing for health and nutrition company New Image International.

He has recently returned from two years in Cambodia, where he set up an office for global logistics company Crown Worldwide Group.