With about 85% of the ballots counted in the district, former deputy mayor Liz McMillan has won the mayoralty with 5472 votes.
Her next closest rival was Russell Ellis with 1828 votes.
McMillan replaces retiring Ashburton mayor Neil Brown.
The number of votes counted in the Ashburton district was 38.15%, compared to 50.62% in the 2022 local body election.
The progress result does not include some special votes and votes returned today that are still in transit to the processing centre.
The outcome of these elections may change once all votes have been counted.
McMillan has previously served nine years on the Methven Community Board before being elected to council in 2016 and has been the deputy mayor to Neil Brown for the last six years.
In the Ashburton Ward, incumbent councillors - Carolyn Cameron, Phill Hooper, Tony Todd and Russell Ellis - look to be returning to the council and will be joined by a new face, Julie Moffett.
With McMillan to take the top spot of mayor, her Western Ward seat is relinquished.
That would mean both other candidates, Deb Gilkison and Jeanette Maxwell, secure seats around the council table.
The Eastern Ward did not require an election with Richard Wilson returning for a second term and will be joined by Phill Everest.
The Methven Community Board was also elected unopposed, with incumbent board members Megan Fitzgerald, Richie Owen and Robin Jenkinson joined by new members Simon Wareing and Faye Barrand.
On the Braided Rivers Community Trust, the successful candidates look to be Gerard Rushton, Chantelle Quinn, Tim Silva, Mark Douglas, Kerry Clough, and Maddy Brown.
The Ashburton District Council mayoral results are:
| MCMILLAN, Liz | 5,472 |
| ELLIS, Russell | 1,828 |
| MACKLE, Rob | 1,460 |
| RYAN, Jeff | 809 |
With Jonathan Leask, LDR local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
