Northland candidates await results as counting begins in the 2026 general election

At 11pm, incumbent MP Grant McCallum maintained a commanding lead over Labour’s Ashleigh Latimer, ahead by 7279 votes with 14,345 votes to 7066, with 80.3% of the votes counted.

In the party vote, National was out in front with 30.13% of the vote, followed by Labour on 19.08%.

McCallum has led the pack since results started coming in at 7pm.

The National candidate was “encouraged” by the latest results but said “at the end of the day it’s up to the voters”.

If he won, the first thing he would do tomorrow morning is phone Latimer, then phone his National colleagues “to either congratulate them or commiserate with them”.

“Thats politics, it’s a brutal profession at times.”

McCallum also said he would head back to the family farm to get organised for the week ahead.

“I’ll fly down to Parliament on Monday assuming the results stay where they are and I’ll post on social media thanking all the people of Northland for their support,” he said.

“It’s really humbling that all the people have the faith in you to be their local leader.”

McCallum plans to focus on boosting tourism in Northland if he keeps his seat.

He would get leading tourism operators together and drive better outcomes in Northland including more visitors.

Northland was underperforming compared to the rest of the country, McCallum said.

“If we work together as a region and promote ourselves to the domestic market Auckland we can do a better job.”

McCallum said most people he spoke to during the campaign raised the cost of living as the biggest issue and he’s “very mindful of that”.

While his parents, Pam and Ron McCallum, were able to see their son clinch the seat in 2023, both died last year. McCallum said he visited their grave today which was “pretty emotional”.

NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones sits in third but earlier said he felt “very confident”.

Jones believed NZ First supporters often voted on election day. Current results reflect advance votes.

Green Party Northland candidate Mike Finlayson, who at 10.30pm was in fourth place, said he is “realistic” about winning the Northland seat.

“It’s a true-blue seat and I’m pretty sure Grant [McCallum] is a shoe in. But that may not last forever. If we keep building our Green machine who knows what will happen in 2029.”

Those looking to fill the shoes of outgoing National Party MP for Whangārei Dr Shane Reti are Lloyd Budd (National), Dr Gary Payinda (Labour), Vince Cocurullo (NZ First), Simon DellaBarca (Opportunity), Doug Graham (Act), Noah Wakelam (NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party), Luke Beharrell (Money Free Party), Jon Twyman (Independent), Collin Blackman (NZ Loyal) and Daryl Warren Clotworthy (Independent).

At 11pm, National’s Lloyd Budd led Labour’s Dr Gary Payinda by 1005 votes, with 15,239 votes to 14,234.

Budd holds the lead as 91.1% of votes have been counted.

When the first tranche of results was released at 7pm, Payinda led Budd by 30 votes.

Budd and Payinda have pulled well clear of third-placed Cocurullo, who has cracked 5000 votes.

In the party vote, National led with 30.35% of the vote, followed by Labour on 23.58%.

The National Party’s Whangārei candidate Lloyd Budd was “feeling good” tonight.

At about 10pm, Budd said he was feeling good – and the margin for him was continuing to increase – but there was still a long way to go.

“We always knew that this was going to be a close race, nothing has changed.

“We’ve had a positive crew here and we’ve managed to keep our noses out in front.”

Budd said “amazing people” from the National party will be hurting tonight due to the party’s overhang, where it has won more electorate seats than its share of the party vote entitles it to.

He said he had seen renewed support for the National Party in Whangārei over the last few months and was pleased to see another generation coming through.

Budd said family and family values were a key reason for him standing, and securing a good future for the next generation, including his two children.

Whangārei’s Labour candidate Payinda was pleased with the campaign.

In a speech to about 80 volunteers and supporters, gathered at a room at McKay Stadium in Kensington about 8pm, he said he wasn’t nervous about the result.

“We’ve done the best we can, we’ve given it our all … We’ve done a wonderful job regardless of the outcome.”

With Whangārei being a “true blue” seat, Payinda’s campaign started early, back in December 2025.

The political novice said much of his campaign was about connecting with individuals and listening to their concerns, with the aim of putting people first.

“I found people wanted someone to be honest with them, to be available to them and be real. Shockingly, I don’t think they get that much,” he said.

“I’m going to try and hold onto that as much as I can – whether that’s for another hour or so, or if I get to represent the people of Whangārei.”

Whangārei Labour Party branch chairman Rex Morris said the branch was bursting with energy thanks to the enthusiasm of candidate Dr Gary Payinda.

The Labour Party’s campaign in Whangārei had “broken glass ceilings over and over” and had five times more volunteers than usual, he said.

“Gary has got such drive and energy, and also depth to his political beliefs: it’s been really vibrant and everyone has been into it.”

Campaign manager Lizzie Mandeno said Payinda spoke on housing and the cost of living, but also engaged with people who wouldn’t normally give Labour a good reception, such as business owners and farmers.

“That’s why people see he would be a good representative: he’s willing to engage with the issues and think critically.”

While the Whangārei electorate is a traditional National seat – going just once to Labour since 1975 – Mandeno said nothing could be taken for granted and people liked the idea that they could make change.

Spending election night at the Whangārei Fireworks Spectacular, NZ First candidate for Whangārei Vince Cocurullo said he was “well prepared” for whatever situation was thrown at him tonight.

“Look, whatever happens, happens.”

Opportunity Party’s Whangārei candidate Simon DellaBarca, sitting in fifth place, spent the afternoon hosting a BBQ for his campaign volunteers.

Having supported the party since its inception in 2017, DellaBarca said getting himself into Parliament was never his intention.

“It was really only to stand for the party vote ... that was my main focus ... it’d be really awesome to see us there even if we don’t get to form a coaliton.”

DellaBarca said campaigning had been a “massive” learning curve.

“I’d never public spoken before in my life, so that was the least enjoyable part of it to be fair.”

DellaBarca would step up to the candidacy again for the next election if no one put their hands up.

“I would 100% give it another shot.”

MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, standing for her Te Tai Tokerau Party, is hoping to hold on to the seat, but vying are Willow-Jean Prime (Labour), Hūhana Lyndon (Green), Aperahama Edwards (Te Pāti Māori), Maki Herbert (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party) and Karl Barkley (Your Pic Party).

At 11pm, the race remained close, with Te Pāti Māori’s Aperahama Edwards leading Greens MP Hūhana Lyndon by 455 votes.

The pair share strong ties to the Ngātiwai Trust Board, with Edwards serving as chairman and Lyndon having previously been its chief executive.

Edwards took the lead from the outset, with Labour’s Prime initially in second place. However, Prime has since dropped to third, behind Lyndon and ahead of Kapa-Kingi.

With 85% of the votes counted, the race remains tight.

Labour held a narrow lead in the party vote, securing 43.93% compared with the Green Party’s 36.53%.

When asked how Kapa-Kingi feels about tonight, she said she was excited.

“I’m hoping for the win. I’m hoping to win the seat back.”

The MP, who stepped away from Te Pāti Māori despite a High Court-backed reinstatement earlier this year, is now aiming to retain the seat under Te Tai Tokerau Party.

If Kapa-Kingi loses the seat, she doesn’t plan to go anywhere.

“I’m still from the north, I am about the north, I will still talk about us as if we’re the only home game in town,” she said.

If Kapa-Kingi were to win the seat, she would be on an “absolute high”.

“I will cry for seven minutes and then get back into the work,” she said.

Lyndon said this was the biggest campaign the Greens have ever run in the north.

If she wins “you will see me with offices open across the region, staff on the ground and us taking the issues and fighting for them, taking their concerns into the House”.

“We will be going hard out for Northland Tai Tokerau to make sure we get our fair share and that Tai Tokerau is not left behind,” Lyndon said.

Lyndon walked into the night feeling confident about taking the Te Tai Tokerau seat.

When asked about how she felt about the close gap between her and Edwards she said she “totally backs our campaign and the work I’ve been doing on the ground.

“I have no problems with what I’m doing, I’m dedicated and focused. It’s only 30% of the vote through and the specials aren’t through yet, it’s early in the night.”