THE candidates standing for North East mayor and in two police commissioner elections in our region have been confirmed.

Nominations for the upcoming elections on May 2 closed last Friday (April 5) and the official lists of who will be on voters’ ballot papers have now been published.

This is a historic year for the region, with a new mayor about to be elected to lead a new North East Mayoral Combined Authority that stretches across Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

READ MORE: Childcare and transport discussed in latest mayoral debate

There were no surprise names appearing on the list of candidates, with the six names in the running having been known for several months already.

The North East mayoral candidates are: 

  • Paul Donaghy – Reform UK
  • Jamie Driscoll – Independent
  • Andrew Gray – Green Party
  • Aidan King – Liberal Democrat
  • Kim McGuinness – Labour
  • Guy Renner-Thompson – Conservative

There are also police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections being held on May 2.

Voters in Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland will go to the polls to choose the next PCC for the Northumbria force area.

The four names in the running for that role are:

  • John Appleby – Liberal Democrat
  • Susan Dungworth – Labour
  • Ros Munro – Conservative
  • Mustaque Rahman – Independent

The Northumbria PCC is currently Ms McGuinness, who succeeded Dame Vera Baird in the job in 2019.

Voters in County Durham and Darlington will elect a PCC for the Durham Constabulary area, where Labour’s Joy Allen is seeking re-election.

The three candidates in that election will be:

  • Joy Allen – Labour
  • Nigel Boddy – Liberal Democrat
  • Rob Potts – Conservative

Local council elections are also being held on May 2 in Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside and North Tyneside.

The deadline to register to vote in these elections is midnight (11.59pm) on Tuesday, April 16.

Registered electors can also apply for a postal vote, before the deadline of 5pm on Wednesday, April 17. 

The deadline to apply to vote by proxy is 5pm on Wednesday, April 24. Under new rules that were first introduced at last year’s local elections, voters will need to show photo ID at their polling station. 

Accepted forms of ID include a passport or driving licence.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.