NZ Election 2026

East Coast Bays electorate

East Coast Bays covers the north east areas of Auckland city, covering suburbs such as Albany, Pinehill, and Lucas Creek. It has been held by National’s Erica Stanford since 2017, who won re-election in 2023 with a margin of 27,687 votes. National won a majority of the party vote in 2023 with 58%, while Labour was a distant second at 14%. The electorate was one of the few electorates to be won by a third party in the pre-MPP era, with Social Credit holding the seat between 1980 and 1984.

East Coast Bays candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Brendan McEnroe

Labour Party

Vaughan Taylor

NZ First

Erica Stanford

National Party

Abe McKee

Green Party

Sam Mills

ACT Party

Erica Stanford

National Party

Why I'm standing

I was born and raised in the East Coast Bays so have a deep personal connection to this area. I'm passionate about ensuring East Coast Bays remains one of the best places in New Zealand to live, work, and raise a family. For the last three years, I have also served as Minister of Education and Minister of Immigration. I've led major reforms in both portfolios and have so much more I wish to do.

About me

I have represented East Coast Bays since 2017 and have proven my commitment and love for this community. I have remained dedicated to helping residents, including coordinating volunteers after the Auckland Anniversary floods to clear properties and deliver food parcels. I've hosted a lot of events, visited retirement villages, schools and businesses, and participated in local fundraisers and quiz nights. I'm especially proud to have led a successful campaign to save North Harbour Stadium.

My priorities

  1. Continue advocating for East Coast Bays residents who need help navigating government departments.
  2. See the Glenvar Road upgrade project finally get underway. It is long overdue and badly needed.

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.