Orphée Mickalad
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Orphée Mickalad’s Elections & Candidacies
Note: This database contains data from the 2023, 2020, 2017 and 2014 general elections, the 2025 local government election and is gradually being backfilled with other election data.
Contested 3 races — 2 elected 1 not elected
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Final Not elected
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Te Hirawanui General WardPalmerston North City CouncilAffiliation: IndependentBallot name: Orphée MickaladFinal Elected
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Te Hirawanui General WardPalmerston North City CouncilAffiliation: IndependentFinal ElectedVote share • 5.5%1,484 votes
Offices held
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Te Hirawanui General WardPalmerston North City CouncilAffiliation: IndependentFeb 2021 – present
In the News
'Ignore the hatred': Racism fuels former refugee to encourage more immigrants to stand for public office in NZ
Manawatu Standard — June 7, 2022"Online abuse and verbal insults remain routine for the first former refugee to be elected to local government in New Zealand, but he will not flinch to racism. Orphee Mickalad, 32, doesn’t just have time commitments and career ambitions to weigh up when considering if he should seek re-election to the city council in Palmerston North in October, there is also the toll of unrelenting prejudice. “I experience racism almost every day,” he said. “I’ll walk past a traffic light and someone will yell, ‘go back to your own country’, and drive off.” Mickalad is no stranger to living among hostility. He and his family escaped war in Congo for a new life in New Zealand when he was 15. He went from speaking little English to winning a seat on council in a 2021 by-election."
Palmerston North City Council votes to establish a Māori ward
Manawatu Guardian — April 14, 2021Voting record from original 2021 decision to introduce Māori ward: "Last week's vote to introduce Māori wards was split 11-5. In favour were mayor Grant Smith, Aleisha Rutherford, Brent Barrett, Rachel Bowen, Zulfiqar Butt, Vaughan Dennison, Renee Dingwall, Patrick Handcock, Lorna Johnson, Orphee Mickalad and Karen Naylor. Against were Susan Baty, Lew Findlay, Leonie Hapeta, Billy Meehan and Bruno Petrenas."
Orphee Mickalad wins Palmerston North City Council by-election
Manawatu Guardian — February 22, 2021"Palmerston North's newest city councillor was inspired to enter politics by the man he replaces. Orphee Mickalad was a student in Tangi Utikere's history class at Freyberg High School. It was around the time when Barack Obama was elected the president of the United States. Mickalad says Utikere's teaching style got him interested in politics and his teacher encouraged him to run. "So he was like 'why don't you just do it?'""
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This database currently contains data from the 2025 local government eleciton, and general elections in 2023, 2020, 2017 and 2014. It is being backfilled with older data. Please get in touch if you want to help.