Election 2026: Results from Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Waiariki and more
National Party incumbents have largely retained their seats in the Bay of Plenty during the 2026 New Zealand general election. While the national result remains too close to call, the local outcomes show a strong performance for National candidates in Tauranga and Mt Maunganui.
Why it matters
The results provide a snapshot of the broader, highly competitive national election landscape in New Zealand, which will determine the next government.
It’s a blue wash for National Party incumbents in all Bay of Plenty electorates bar Waiariki, where the incumbent Rawiri Waititi of Te Pāti Māori has also returned in the 2026 general election.
In Tauranga, Labour’s Jan Tinetti last night text-messaged National’s Sam Uffindell to concede, with the margin between them more than 10,000 votes.
On his Facebook page, Tom Rutherford has celebrated re-election for his second term. He has a margin of more than 14,000 votes over Labour newcomer Rhieve Grey in Mt Maunganui.
In both seats, National also led in the party votes.
In Waiariki, Waititi returns despite a strong showing from Green Party challenger Tania Waikato.
Labour has the party vote lead in that electorate, with the Green Party second after Te Pāti Māori encouraged supporters to strategically split their votes.
Also covering this story
8 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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