NZ Election 2026

Rotorua electorate

Centred on its namesake, the Rotorua electorate also stretches up to Tauranga electorate in the north and down to the Tāupo electorate in the south, including Te Puke, Reporoa, and Kaingaroa. The electorate is held by National’s Todd McClay, who has held the seat since 2008. He was re-elected in 2023 with a margin of 19,339 votes. National also won the party vote with 41%, followed by Labour with 24%. McClay, a current minister, is the son of another former National minister, Roger McClay, who served between 1981 and 1996.

Rotorua candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Finn Liley

Opportunity Party

Billy Brown

NZ First

Todd McClay

National Party

Fisher Wang

Labour Party

Finn Liley

Opportunity Party

Why I'm standing

I am standing as the Opportunity Party candidate for Rotorua because I believe that Opportunity is the only party willing to legitimately work with both Labour and National to ensure that we have focused, long-term policy rather than the flip-flopping that we have been seeing in recent governments. Young people are increasingly leaving this country because they cannot see a future here, with unemployment, housing and higher wages all contributing. We need to change this.

About me

I was born and raised here in Rotorua, and have been active within the local community. I have been a strong advocate for the environment and was the local organiser for the School Strike for Climate March while a student in high school. I was also the campaign manager for the locally prominent weweia in the 2024 Bird of the Year competition, and have been involved in volunteer community trapping.

My priorities

  1. Ensuring that young people see themselves having a future in Rotorua.
  2. Support science and innovation through increased investment.
  3. Restore community trust in our government.

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.