Nimon the new MP-elect for Napier, preliminary results show
Katie Nimon of National has stormed to victory in her second attempt to become Napier MP, defeating Labour’s Mark Hutchinson by a large margin, preliminary results show.
Hutchinson visited Nimon at her celebrations last night as she now looks set to replace long-time Napier MP Stuart Nash.
Nimon told Hawke’s Bay App 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."
VOTES COUNTED:
34,666
97.7%
LEADING CANDIDATE: NIMON, Katie 18,722
2nd CANDIDATE: HUTCHINSON, Mark 10,640
CURRENT MARGIN: 8,082
PARTY VOTE LEAD: National Party 41.60%
2nd PARTY: Labour Party 26.25%
