NZ Election 2026

North Shore electorate

North Shore covers many of Auckland's northern suburbs, including Devonport, Takapuna, and Mairangi Bay. The electorate is held by National’s Simon Watts, who was first elected in 2020 and won re-election in 2023 with a margin of 24,892. National won the party vote with 51% in 2023, followed by Labour on 18%. The very first MP for the electorate between 1946 and 1949 was from Labour—National have won it in every election since.

North Shore candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Josh Jacobsen

Green Party

Sam Collins

Labour Party

Holly Knill

Opportunity Party

Karen Chhour

ACT Party

Simon Watts

National Party

Holly Knill

Opportunity Party

Why I'm standing

I came home in 2021 expecting to see us thriving. Instead, I found a sleeping economy. Productivity is low, costs are climbing, infrastructure is creaking, our environment is ignored and droves of talented New Zealanders are leaving. Our next Government needs people with real experience in delivering change, not managing the status quo. It's time to make the hard, evidence-based decisions that are required to improve for our economy, our environment and our public services.

About me

I'm a mum, a school board member, an internationally experienced media, technology and telco executive, and a pretty average basketball coach who's passionate about helping New Zealand embrace innovation, especially AI and emerging technologies. I know how to turn strategy into action, bring people together and deliver results. We have smart people, world-class businesses and incredible natural advantages. We now need better long-term thinking and the courage to modernise and grow our economy.

My priorities

  1. Fix infrastructure while enabling better urban growth. This includes traffic congestion.
  2. Build environmental and climate resilience (aka 'flood-proofing') and protect our Hauraki Gulf.
  3. Clean up politics: regulate lobbying, investigate corruption and launch Citizens' Assemblies.

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.