National incumbents Sam Uffindell and Tom Rutherford have opened commanding leads in Tauranga and Mt Maunganui as election night results continue to roll in, with more than 60% of votes counted in both electorates.

In Tauranga, Sam Uffindell is ahead of Labour’s Jan Tinetti by about 8500 votes, while Tom Rutherford leads Rhieve Grey by more than 11,000 in Mt Maunganui. In both seats, National leads in party votes.

In Waiariki, the gap between leading candidate, incumbent MP Rawiri Waititi of Te Pāti Māori, and Green Party challenger Tania Waikato has been widening.

Labour has the party vote lead in the electorate, with the Green Party in second after Te Pāti Māori encouraged supporters to strategically split their votes.

National incumbents in Coromandel, Rotorua and East Cape are all leading.

It’s a less settled night for the party nationally, with preliminary results showing a very close race between left and right blocs, with a large overhang of seats in Parliament.

Tauranga electorate

Tauranga preliminary results:

• VOTES COUNTED: 64.1%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Sam Uffindell, National
• 2nd CANDIDATE: Jan Tinetti, Labour
• CURRENT MARGIN: 8486
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: National, 38.08%
• 2nd PARTY: Labour, 19.08%

Uffindell, who is having a private function with supporters tonight, said he and his team had worked “really hard” over the last term.

He said the results were a “good early indication”.

“The more important picture is nationally.

“Everyone knew that this was going to be a very close election, and that’s exactly how it’s shaping up.”

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell and his wife Julia at a private election night event. Photo / Bijou Johnson

Uffindell said if he’s “fortunate enough” to be re-elected, he would continue “working very hard for the people of Tauranga”.

He earlier said he cast his votes today, as well as having brunch with his family and welcoming his mother, who arrived from Auckland.

“[We] just hung about for the day. Tidying up around the house, trying to keep myself busy and not looking at the clock.”

Uffindell said he had a “natural level of nervous excitement” about tonight.

His challengers are Jan Tinetti from Labour, Daniël Oosthuizen from Greens, Michael Carter from Opportunity, Sam Connely from Animal Justice Party, Bryan Nortan from Act and independent candidate Tim Maltby.

National Party volunteer Don Macbeth said he and his family had been members of the party for generations.

Macbeth said volunteers had “a lot of camaraderie” and there was “lots of support” in Tauranga.

At the joint Labour campaign event in Tauranga, Tinetti gave a speech saying this was her fifth campaign and the strongest one she had experienced – stronger than “2020’s red wave”.

Tinetti, who has arrived at the Labour campaign event in Tauranga, said it was “a night of nervous anticipation”.

Labour list MP and Tauranga candidate Jan Tinetti arriving at Tauranga Dive and Fish Club with husband Dave Merton, welcomed by campaign manager Pare Taikato. Photo / Bijou Johnson

She said every vote counts and she was feeling hopeful.

“I spent the day firstly catching up with my volunteers who were working hard to get out the vote and then relaxing at home”.

Uffindell has represented the Tauranga electorate since the 2022 byelection, after former National leader Simon Bridges retired from national politics.

This will be the second election Uffindell and Tinetti vie for the Tauranga seat.

He won the Tauranga electorate in 2023 with 18,980 votes – a lead of 9370 over her.

Tinetti has been in Parliament since 2017 as a Labour list MP, and was previously a minister.

Mt Maunganui electorate

Mt Maunganui preliminary results:

• VOTES COUNTED: 71.1%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Tom Rutherford, National
• 2nd CANDIDATE: Rhieve Grey, Labour
• CURRENT MARGIN: 11,142
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: National, 38.69%
• 2nd PARTY: Labour: 19.11%

Bay of Plenty MP Rutherford is seeking re-election in the Mt Maunganui electorate.

Rutherford, 29, said he was “naturally nervous” about the night ahead.

He said his job as MP, and the National Party’s job in Government, was not finished.

“I hope the community has seen the tireless work I’ve done over the last three years, and some of the positive things I’ve been able to achieve.”

Rutherford said he and wife Hannah enjoyed brunch today at Henry and Ted in Pāpāmoa and did some Christmas shopping at Bayfair.

“It was a very wholesome day,” he said.

Contesting the seat are Rhieve Grey from Labour, Pualele Westhead from Greens, Cameron Luxton from Act, Tracey Coxhead from NZ First, Greer Young from NZ Loyal, and Caitlin Grattan from Animal Justice Party.

Labour Mt Maunganui candidate Rhieve Grey with wife Amy. Photo / Bijou Johnson

Grey arrived at the Labour campaign party to applause and cheers from a full house of more than 50 supporters.

Tauranga Fish and Dive club has been painted red with table cloths, campaign signage, and crimson attire.

Grey said he was feeling “really good” about tonight.

“We set out to run a strong, positive values-based campaign, and we’ve done that.”

He spent today “hanging around home and did some exercise”.

“There’s a bit of rules on my end around what, you know, not being seen.

“So I just did my best to, you know, support the volunteers from the shadows and make sure they’re feeling good, getting the last of the vote out.”

Grey has a seven-month-old with his wife Amy.

She said “there’s no other way that we would have our first few months of our son’s life”.

Amy said their son had adopted “Labour aunties and uncles”.

She said the campaign had been “incredible” and the electorate had shown “a lot of support”.

Coxhead told the Bay of Plenty Times she was feeling hopeful about a “gold result”.

“I already have a house full of family and friends, and we are ready to celebrate.”

Rutherford was first elected to Parliament in 2023 after winning the seat with 23,303 votes over Labour candidate Pare Taikato’s 7898.

The name of the electorate changed to Mt Maunganui this year after boundary shifts.

Luxton is also a serving list MP.

Waiariki electorate

Waiariki preliminary results:

• VOTES COUNTED: 60.9%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Rawiri Waititi, Te Pāti Māori
• 2nd CANDIDATE: Tania Waikato, Green Party
• CURRENT MARGIN: 1722
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: Labour, 45.41%
• 2ND PARTY: Green Party, 38.74%

Te Pāti Māori co-leader and incumbent MP Rawiri Waititi is trying to win a third term over challengers Toni Boynton from Labour, Tania Waikato from the Greens and Opportunity’s Pāpā Wharewera.

Coromandel

Coromandel preliminary results:

• VOTES COUNTED: 43.8%%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Scott Simpson, National
• 2nd CANDIDATE: Glen Bennett, Labour
• CURRENT MARGIN: 10,716
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: National, 35.01%
• 2ND PARTY: Labour, 20.07%

Simpson, seeking his sixth term as MP for Coromandel has an early lead over Bennett.

Also challenging for the seat are Mike McCormick - ACT; Pamela Grealey - Green; Ray Cobb - NZ Outdoors & Freedom; Steven Hart - Independent and Vincent Andersen - NZ First.

East Cape

• VOTES COUNTED: 24.1%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Dana Kirkpatrick, National
• 2nd CANDIDATE: Jo Luxton, Labour
• CURRENT MARGIN: 2781
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: National, 30.40%
• 2nd PARTY: 29.32%

Kirkpatrick is seeking her second term in the seat.

Her challengers are Luxton, Cail Smith, Opportunity; Darrin Hawkes, Act, Gordon John Dickson, Independent; and Jordan Walker, Greens.

Rotorua

Rotorua preliminary results:

• VOTES COUNTED: 34%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Todd McClay, National Party
• 2nd CANDIDATE: Fisher Wang, Labour Party
• CURRENT MARGIN: 2762
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: National Party 32.41%
• 2nd PARTY: Labour Party 25.60%

McClay is seeking his seventh term as Rotorua MP.

He was challenged by Wang, Opportunity’s Finn Liley and New Zealand First’s Billy Brown.