The mayor of Hastings is the head of the Local Government of Hastings, New Zealand, and presides over the Hastings District Council. The first mayor was Robert Wellwood (1886–1887), and the current mayor is Sandra Hazlehurst, who is the first woman to be elected to the office.

Hastings is an inland city of New Zealand and is one of the two major urban areas in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island. The population of Hastings is 51,500, with a further 15,200 people in Havelock North and 2,090 in Clive. Hastings is about 18 kilometres inland of the coastal city of Napier. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities".