Candidates are listed in the order they appeared on the ballot.
Nick Dametto, who has served as the member for
Hinchinbrook in the
Queensland Legislative Assembly since
2017, announced on the same day as Thompson's resignation that he would contest the mayoral by-election. Under Queensland law, candidates running for
local government positions cannot be a member of a state or federal parliament. Dametto resigned from the
Katter's Australian Party (KAP) to contest as an
independent, although the KAP endorsed his candidacy. Ann-Maree Greaney, the councillor for
Division 3 since
2016 and the acting mayor since Thompson's suspension in 2024, contested. Former
Mundingburra MP
Les Walker considered contesting, but ultimately chose not to run. No political party endorsed candidates at the
2024 mayoral election. The
Labor Party (ALP) has not made endorsements for Townsville local elections since
2008, although Labor members Paul Jacob and Joanne Keune contested the by-election without the party's endorsement. David Cassells, the secretary of the ALP's
Herbert Federal Organising Committee, supported voting for either Jacob or Keune, as well as putting Thompson last and Dametto second last. ==Campaign==