Utikere back in Palmy seat
Utikere returned as MP with a reduced majority, National wins party vote
National has won the party vote in the Palmerston North electorate for the first time since 2014 but the city continues to have a Labour MP.
While Palmerston North is surrounded by the blue seat of Rangitīkei, its MP Tangi Utikere did have fellow Labour MPs nearby in Whanganui, O¯ taki and Wairarapa. These seats are now held by National MPs.
Additionally, Te Tai Hauāuru was held by Labour but was won by Te Pāti Māori.
Utikere’s majority this election was 3087, down from 12,508 in 2020.
In a Facebook post after his victory, he said it is “an absolute privilege to represent the place that I am very proud to call my home”.
He said he would continue his focus on being a visible and accessible local representative.
In a Facebook post, National candidate Ankit Bansal said he had thoroughly enjoyed his seven months of campaigning.
What stood out the most was “the way you accepted a non-political background candidate and wholeheartedly supported me throughout this journey”.
Bansal said National will always listen to Palmerston North.
In Palmerston North, 36,078 votes were counted with 608 informal candidate votes — the Electoral Commission could not determine the intention of the voter.
National received 12,195 votes (33.80 per cent) and Labour 11,293 (31.30 per cent).
In 2020, Labour received 54.5 per cent of the party vote in the Palmerston North electorate and National 21.8 per cent.
In Rangitīkei 41,423 votes were counted with 550 informal candidate votes included.
National’s Suze Redmayne has a 9785 vote majority, up from her predecessor Ian McKelvie’s 2961 majority in 2020.
National won 41.08 per cent of the party vote in Rangitīkei and Labour 21.71 per cent.
In Te Tai Hauāuru, 27,215 votes were counted with 604 informal candidate votes.
Labour received 40.60 per cent of the party vote and Te Pa¯ ti Ma¯ ori 35.54 per cent.
■ Results
Palmerston North
Tangi Utikere (Labour Party) 15,339
Ankit Bansal (National Party) 12,252 Teanau Tuiono (Green Party) 3162
Mike Harnett (Act Party) 2841
Dean Grant (New Zealand Loyal) 1016
Douglas Begg (Animal Justice Party) 402
Rangit¯ıkei
Suze Redmayne (National) 18,945
Zulfiqar Butt (Labour) 9160
Andrew Hoggard (Act) 5914
Helma Vermeulen (New Zealand First Party) 3167
Bernard Long (Green) 3153
Te Tai Hauāuru
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Te Pāti Māori) 16,358
Soraya Peke-Mason (Labour) 7136
Harete Hipango (National) 1382
Paris Winiata (Vision New Zealand) 689