NZ Election 2026

Whanganui electorate

Whanganui covers its namesake town and the surrounding smaller towns of Hawera and Stratford while also stretching into the Rupaehu district to include Waiouru and Tongariro National Park. The seat is currently held by National’s Carl Bates, who was first elected in 2023 with a margin of 18,484. National won the party vote in 2023 with 39% of the vote, followed by Labour with 28%. The electorate has the highest proportion of the populace employed in manufacturing jobs in the country.

Whanganui candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Carl Bates

National Party

Sandra Kyle

Animal Justice Party

Harete Hipango-Brownlie

NZ First

Angela Roberts

Labour Party

Carl Bates

National Party

Why I'm standing

Whanganui (incl Ruapehu, South Taranaki and Stratford) deserves an active, engaged local MP, advocating for our region in Wellington. That is what I have been and will continue to be, should I be re-elected on 7 Nov. In order to have the health, education and social services our region deserves, we also need to re-elect a National-led Government to ensure we have a growing economy that can pay for this.

About me

Born and raised in Whanganui, Candice and I live here with our three children. A wide range of international business involvement in the primary industries and animal health, food safety and manufacturing, retail and education, gives me significant real-world experience and skills. Over the last three years I have demonstrated how an active local MP delivers results for our community - school upgrades, new police station, new Patea connectivity tower, environmental funding and more.

My priorities

  1. Ensure ongoing improvement in healthcare services - including mental, rural & provincial healthcare.
  2. Drive opportunities for new jobs and higher wages, ensuring investment boost continues.
  3. Continue advocating for our rural sector, which is critical to this region. Backing our farmers!

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.