Kiapara ki Maurangi; is now up for grabs. With Chris Penk not seeking re-election after the leadership debacle.
He held the seat for 9 years; and won in 2023 with an almost 20k majority.
I doubt that it will switch away from National with such a clear lead. We don’t know who National will put up though.
There are two other high profile contenders:
- Opportunity deputy leader Daniel Eb.
- NZF’s Jenny Marcroft, who has a seat from list position.
That’s hearty National territory there. Be interesting to see if the electorate has slipped further right-wing though; NZ First and ACT might appeal more to any new true believers.
Yeah I can’t imagine the result of Chris Penk leaving having any serious impact on who we have in government after the election.
Agreed.
The margin is similar to that in Taupō. I don’t see it changing hands this election.