Update, 8.40pm:  National Party candidate Tom Rutherford is leading the Bay of Plenty election race with a current margin of 9,869 votes.

With 25,364 votes or 42.5 per cent of the votes counted, Tom has 14,144 votes, with second candidate Labour’s Pare Taikato on 4,275 votes.

National is also leading in the party votes with 50.29 per cent. Labour is coming in second with 17.27 per cent.

ACT New Zealand party candidate Cameron Luxton is currently in third place with 2282 votes.

Earlier, 7.40pm: National Party candidate Tom Rutherford is leading the Bay of Plenty election race with a current margin of 9,809.

With 25,114 votes or 36.8 per cent of the votes counted, Tom has 14,045 votes, with second candidate Labour’s Pare Taikato on 4,236 votes.

National is also leading in the party votes with 50.41 per cent. Labour is coming in second with 17.32 per cent.

ACT New Zealand party candidate Cameron Luxton is currently in third place with 2248 votes.

SunLive caught up with Labour party candidate Pare Taikato, with her supporters at Whareroa Marae.

“I feel fine. I feel very positive. I’ve managed my expectations from Day One," says Pare. "I’m a Maori woman, I’m contesting a general seat. It’s conventionally been held by National for some time now and my predecessor Angie Warren-Clark was elected on the party votes as a list MP.

“She’s been a List MP for the past two terms. That was under a Jacinda-led Labour party. It was pre-Covid. I’m a realist about post-Covid. We have a different leader of the party.  I’m a wahine Maori. I always feel positive, I never say never, but I am a realist.”

Labour party candidate for Bay of Plenty, Pare Taikato. Photo: Merle Cave/SunLive.

Pare says she has received mostly positive feedback during her campaign.

“Whether people actually turn out to translate that into a vote is a different story. Tonight’s the poll that counts.”

Pare, Jan Tinetti and Toni Boynton decided to combine their local Labour branches for election night, meeting at the Whareroa Marae at Mount Maunganui.

“We’ve having a bit of a get-together together, and not hosting three separate events, but can be together, support each other. We’re all winners whatever the outcome tonight. We will keep moving forward representing our constituents.

“Jan at number six on our party list, whether we’re in Government or Opposition, Jan will continue to represent the constituency. Jan’s great, she is still very much involved with the Merivale community, for example. Representing, advocating and being their person, that contact for the community.

“For myself, I’m still sitting on a number of Maori grower kiwifruit avocado businesses, so I’ll still be advocating in that space for those constituents.”

Bay of Plenty votes counted: 25,114 or 36.8 per cent: