1918 Taranaki by-election

1918 Taranaki by-election

10 October 1918 (1918-10-10)
Turnout74.19%
 
Candidate Sydney George Smith John Connett
Party Independent Labour Reform
Popular vote 2,840 2,680

Member before election

Henry Okey
Reform

Elected Member

Sydney George Smith
Independent Labour

The Taranaki by-election of 1918 was a by-election in the Taranaki electorate on the west coast of the North Island. It was held during the 19th New Zealand Parliament, on 10 October 1918. It was caused by the death of incumbent MP Henry Okey of the Reform Party and was won by Sydney George Smith, the son of previous Taranaki MP Edward Smith, who stood as an independent Labour candidate. Smith supported the war effort unlike most Labour politicians, gaining him support of voters who likewise supported the war.