NZ Election 2026

Christchurch East electorate

Christchurch East covers many of Christchurch's eastern suburbs, including Avondale, New Brighton, and Waimari Beach. The electorate has been held by Labour’s Reuben Davidson, who was first elected in 2023 with a margin of 13,418 votes. Labour also won the party vote in 2023 with 34%, followed by National on 29%. The last party other than Labour to win the seat was the now-defunct Liberal party in 1922.

Christchurch East candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Reuben Davidson

Labour Party

Ethan Gullery

Alliance Party

Toni Severin

ACT Party

Shane Wiremu

NZ First

David Mueller-Cajar

NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party

Teresa Butler

Green Party

Helen Houghton

Conservative Party NZ

Alexandra Davids

National Party

Vikramjit SINGH

Independent

Paula Lambert

Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

Glenn THOMPSON

New Zealand Loyal

Reuben Davidson

Labour Party

Why I'm standing

I am grateful and excited to be the MP for Christchurch East. My professional career involved producing TV shows like What Now, Fanimals and Brain Busters. As Labour spokesperson for Science, Technology & Innovation and Broadcasting, Media and Creative Economy I'm excited by the opportunities for New Zealand. I am committed to working with you, navigating the challenges ahead, so we can build a better, smarter and safer future for Christchurch East and New Zealand.

About me

We have such strong communities across Christchurch East, and I'm committed to working with them to ensure they can thrive.

My priorities

  1. Real action on the cost of living - too many people are working hard and struggling to get ahead.
  2. Support for the homeless in our community.
  3. Strong representation for Christchurch East communities.

Get across the policies, candidates and parties

Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2026 general election. Compare the parties, candidates and policies to see where you stand.

Policies

Compare the parties’ positions on the key issues this election

Candidates

See the electorate candidates running in your local area

Parties

Learn about each political party, its leaders and candidate list

Things to know...

Your two votes shape New Zealand’s next parliament. You need to be enrolled to vote.

Read explainer

  • Enrol to vote by Sunday 25 October

    You need to be enrolled before you can vote. You can enrol online at vote.nz.

  • Voting day is Saturday 7 November

    Head to your nearest voting place on the day, or vote early from 26 October.

  • You get two votes

    One for a party (the party vote) and one for a person in your area (the electorate vote).

  • Your party vote is the most powerful

    It decides how many seats each party gets in Parliament. That’s what Policy helps you figure out.