NZ Election 2026

Whangārei electorate

Surrounded entirely by the Northland electorate, Whangārei forms an alcove around the city of Whangārei and its harbour, and while also stretching south to Waipū and Langs Beach and north to Whangaruru harbour. The seat is held by National’s Shane Reti, who won the electorate back from Labour in 2023 after previously representing it between 2014 and 2020. He is retiring in 2026, after winning election in 2023 with a margin of 20,843. National won the party vote in 2023 with 38%, while Labour came second with 22%. The electorate has the highest proportion of health care and social assistance workers in the country.

Whangārei candidates

Explore the candidates in your area

Vince Cocurullo

NZ First

Lloyd Budd

National Party

Simon DellaBarca

Opportunity Party

Gary Payinda

Labour Party

Doug Graham

ACT Party

Vince Cocurullo

NZ First

Why I'm standing

I believe Whangārei and Northland have enormous potential. As a former mayor, business owner and engineer, I've seen what our communities can achieve and what holds us back. I want to take that experience to Parliament, get the infrastructure and investment our region needs, create opportunities for local businesses and jobs, and ensure our young people can build their futures here.

About me

I bring practical experience from being the former mayor of Whangārei, running businesses and working alongside our community. I listen, I'm accessible, and I'm prepared to work with people from all backgrounds to find practical solutions. I believe elected representatives must be accountable, stand up for their communities and follow through on what they promise. I know Whangārei, its people, its challenges and its potential, and I'm ready to be their strong voice in Parliament.

My priorities

  1. Build the four-lane highway to improve resilience, safety and unlock Northland's growth.
  2. Develop Whangārei's Special Economic Zone to attract investment and grow local businesses.
  3. Create well-paid local jobs so our young people can build their futures here.

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.