NZ Election 2026

Pakuranga electorate

Pakuranga covers several eastern Auckland suburbs, including Farm Cove, Mellons Bay, and Cockle Bay. The seat is held by National’s Simeon Brown, who has held the seat since 2017 and was re-elected in 2023 with a margin of 26,105. National dominated the party vote in 2023, winning 58%, followed by Labour on 17%. Almost half of the population (48.8%) was born overseas, compared to 27.4% nationally.

Pakuranga candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Kevin Huang

Opportunity Party

Campbell Matthews

Labour Party

Parmjeet Parmar

ACT Party

Catherine Somerville-Ryan

NZ First

Simeon Brown

National Party

Campbell Matthews

Labour Party

Why I'm standing

I have worked alongside many whanau in my time as a social worker. This is where I reflected on our social systems and what ultimately led me to wanting to stand for Labour in Pakuranga. My parents were always helping those in need. Providing them a hand up and supporting them wherever possible. This was imprinted into me as a young kid, and something I carried into my personal and professional life.

About me

I don't like to harp on about myself, as my view is I should focus on the people I want to represent. I have extensive experience as a social worker in the areas of East and South Auckland, working in both Care and Protection and Youth Justice alongside Police, the courts and other NGOs and government agencies. I also worked as a policy analyst before returning to frontline services.

My priorities

  1. Lowering child poverty rates.
  2. Easing the cost of living for middle- and lower-income households.
  3. Advocating for further support to help everyday Kiwis into well-paying and secure employment.

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.