NZ Election 2026

Tauranga electorate

Tauranga covers the majority of urban Tauranga while also stretching west to cover communities such as Minden and Te Puna, and also south into the Kaimai Ranges. The seat is held by National’s Sam Uffindell, who was first elected in a 2022 by-election, and was re-elected in 2023 with a margin of 18,980. National won the party vote in 2023 with 46%, followed by Labour on 18%. Between 1984 and 2002, the seat was held by current New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, first as a National MP before founding New Zealand First in 1993.

Tauranga candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Jan Tinetti

Labour Party

Michael Carter

Opportunity Party

Bryan Norton

ACT Party

Daniël Oosthuizen

Green Party

Sam Connely

Animal Justice Party

Sam Uffindell

National Party

Bryan Norton

ACT Party

Why I'm standing

I have lived in a few different countries in the world and New Zealand is the best one I've lived in. However, lately, I've become worried about the demise of liberal democracy in NZ due to the encroachment of an ideology that sees certain ancestry demand privileges over other citizens. Act is the only party that is prepared to tackle this head-on.

About me

I've lived in the Tauranga area for 18 years after retiring from Auckland.

My priorities

  1. Ensure that contractors employed by the council are chosen on meritocracy rather than on ideology.
  2. Encourage the creation of charter schools in the area.
  3. Accountability on performance of councils.

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.