Rockhampton will hold its by-election tomorrow, which has seen the candidate list rise from two to a record-breaking seventeen since the previous election. 

In the running is Chris ‘Pineapple’ Hooper, who almost became the Rockhampton Mayor when the previous elected official resigned.

“Under the existing laws when the last mayoral election took place, if the mayor steps down or can’t fulfil their roll, it goes to the next highest polling candidate in a two-horse race,” said CQUniversity’s Benjamin Jones.

“That was Chris Hooper, who had 30 per cent of the vote.”

But the Palaszczuk government overturned the law, which forced the current by-election.

Mr Jones suggested the lengthy list of candidates was spurred by Pineapple’s close loss.

“Something about how close Chris Hooper came actually energised a lot of people.”

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Image: Getty