Big changes in Hawke's Bay as incumbents lose seats, according to preliminary results

by Andrew Austin, Ben Firman and Astrid Austin
Sunday, Oct 15, 2023 8:59 AM

Incumbent MPs in the four Hawke’s Bay electorates have, according to the preliminary election results, all lost their seats, with National claiming Napier, Tukituki and Wairarapa, while Labour won in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.

In a night that saw National beat Labour by a big margin at a national level, the same story played out at a local level.

In the Napier electorate, a seat held by former Labour MP Stuart Nash, National’s Katie Nimon is now the MP-elect, having inflicted an 8,100 vote defeat on the Labour Party candidate Mark Hutchinson. Preliminary results show that Nimon received 18,793 of the 34,816 votes available, compared to Hutchinson’s 10,693.

The results of the other candidates standing in the electorate are Julienne Dickey of the Green Party (1655); Laurie Turnbull of New Zealand First (1480); ACT’s Pawel Milewski (999); Democracy NZ’s Dr Martin Langford (672); and John Smith (178).

Hutchinson went to Nimon’s celebration party last night to concede defeat.

Nimon told Hawke’s Bay App last night that she is excited for what's next.

"It's amazing. We've got such amazing supporters. I really am so grateful and have done all the thank you's I could possibly do - I'm sure I've missed someone off the list."

While Nimon says "it's hard to know exactly" what contributed to her success, she believes she "campaigned the way I wish to be an MP".

"I've thrown myself into every community I can. I want to be part of those communities and I want to work really hard for them. Start the way you wish to continue and hopefully people have seen that and appreciate that and know that I am there to work for them and hear their issues and work for those issues and I think that has been translated in the results."

Hutchinson said they had run "as strong a campaign as we could".

"I have had a marvellous set of supporters supporting. We've worked really hard. And sometimes the tide is going a certain way in politics."

In the party vote in Napier, National won 41.59 percent, while Labour at 26.26 percent.

The story of National’s domination was the same in Tukituki, where incumbent Labour MP Anna Lorck was never ahead throughout the night as National first-timer Catherine Wedd surged to a commanding 8,978 vote win, with 100 percent of the preliminary votes counted. Wedd recorded 19,026 votes, compared to Lorck’s 10,048.

The results of the other candidates standing in the electorate are the Green Party’s Nick Ratcliffe (1884); Rob Douglas of ACT (1678); New Zealand Loya’s Rob Hulman (847); Romana Manning of Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (847); Vision NZ’s Michael Ngahuka (330); Melanie Petrowski (158); United Future Youth Party’s Allister Tosh ( 53); and Michael Ponk (33).

Wedd told Hawke’s Bay App last night that she was feeling amazing.

“It was a huge campaign. We have worked incredibly hard. It has been a fantastic response and we have seen the results in Tukituki.”

Incumbent MP Lorck said: "I can hold my head up high - and I will always work hard for this great region our family lives to call home.”

National wo the party vote in the electorate with 42.09 percent of the vote compared to Labour’s 25.01 percent.

The vast Māori electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti saw political newcomer and Ngati Porou stalwart Cushla Tangaere-Manuel out long-time incumbent MP and Labour Party defector, Meka Whaitiri of Te Pāti Māori by a margin of 2,860 votes with 100 percent of the preliminary votes counted.

Tangaere-Manuel received 10,804 votes, while Whatiri, who will not be returning to Parliament, got 7,944. In a distant third was Vision NZ candidate, Ata Tuhakaraina, a BNZ community support worker from Wellington, with 636 votes.

Whaitiri phoned Tangaere-Manuel to congratulate her last night.

In the Wairarapa electorate, which includes parts of Central Hawke’s Bay and Tararua, Labour incumbent and high-flying Cabinet Minister Kieran McAnulty was beaten by National’s Mike Butterick by 2,481 votes.

The results of the other candidates standing in the electorate are ACT’s Simon Casey (1566); Pete Arnott of NZ Loyal (1439); Celia Wade-Brown of the Green Party (1361); (191); Independent candidate Jared Gardner; and Te Whakapono Waikare of Te Pāti Māori (191).

In the party vote, National received 39.52 percent of the vote, while Labour got 27.61 percent.

Results in Hawke’s Bay Electorates

Napier - Preliminary Count

Electorate No. 26 - 86 of 86 results counted

VOTES COUNTED: 34,816 100.0%

LEADING CANDIDATE: NIMON, Katie 18,793

2nd CANDIDATE: HUTCHINSON, Mark 10,693

CURRENT MARGIN: 8,100

PARTY VOTE LEAD: National Party 41.59%

2nd PARTY: Labour Party 26.26%

Tukituki - Preliminary Count

Electorate No. 54 - 95 of 95 results counted