Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has been returned to office winning 48 percent of the vote.
Phil Goff has been re-elected as Auckland Mayor for a second term. Photo: RNZ/Rowan Quinn
Mr Goff had nearly 155,957 votes, well over double his main challenger John Tamihere's 70,822.
The distant third place went to Craig Lord with 25,430.
Shortly after voting closed, the mayor arrived at an Auckland bar joining about 50 supporters to await the result.
An RNZ reporter said there is a lively atmosphere with many supporters having a beer and some snacks.
Mr Goff has told media that says his priorities for the next three years are climate change, infrastructure and the structure of council, saying he will fulfil his election promise to look at council-controlled organisations.
He thanked his wife, Mary, for putting up with his 35-year career in politics, quipping she might have been the only one in the room smiling if the result had gone the other way.
Phil Goff and wife Mary return to the room to talk to media after learning Mr Goff had retained the Auckland mayoralty. Photo: RNZ / Matthew Theunissen
Mr Goff, who has been mayor since 2016, said that it been a tough campaign that at times got too personal.
Mr Goff thanked all the other candidates for running, noting Mr Tamihere worked hard, spent a lot of money and campaigned hard.
The pair had more than 40 mayoral debates.
"I think the tone has certainly been rougher and more personal. Last time we had a lot of meetings but it very seldom verged on any personal criticism ... and that's my preference," he said
The priorities for his next term would be climate change, infrastructure and looking at the council structure.
Both Mr Tamihere and Mr Goff had campaigned on reforming the council-controlled organisations, arms length companies which run much of the city's transport, water, tourism and events.
He wants to form a high powered group to work with the government which would have to legislate before their could be change, he said.
John Tamihere said he lost the Auckland mayoral race because his rival Phil Goff secured the support of both the National and Labour parties.
In an emotional speech to supporters in west Auckland this afternoon, Mr Tamihere has refused to congratulate his rival.
He said his campaign faced an unprecedented challenge.
"The National Party and the Labour Party came together against me ... how do you beat the Labour Party and how do you beat the National Party?
"So tonight I don't congratulate Phil, I congratulate him on being able to secure the National Party vote and the Labour Party vote, the National Party machinery and the Labour Party machinery."
Mr Tamihere said he was up against all-comers from across the political spectrum.
"Tamihere stood for something, so we were up against the big mountain, the commentariat hates a brown boy's guts."
Meanwhile long-time Auckland councillor and regional councillor Mike Lee has lost his seat around the council table.
He lost in the inner city Waitematā and Gulf Ward to Pippa Coom who was previously on the local board.
Labour's Ross Clow has also lost his seat around the council table in provisional results.
He was 178 votes behind Tracey Mulholland from the National-aligned Communities and Residents party.