Nanaia Mahuta unseated by 21-year-old newcomer Hana Maipi-Clarke

A 21-year-old Te Pāti Maori candidate has unseated Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta in Hauraki-Waikato.

Hana Maipi-Clarke, who made headlines for her age, spirited speeches and reporting incidents at her house during the campaign, is more than 1000 votes ahead of Mahuta in Hauraki-Waikato.

Mahuta has held the seat since it was established in 2008, while Maipi-Clarke will be the youngest MP New Zealand has seen in 170 years.

She said her win was part of a “huge wave” of voters heading towards Te Pāti Māori.

"It's not just my seat but if we look over all the electorates, it's actually a huge shift toward Te Pāti Māori, and our messaging, and with the mahi that Debbie [Ngarewa-Packer] and Rawiri [Waititi] have done already, you need more people to help those two voices.

“So yeah, I think there's a huge wave coming over."

Mahuta said she’d always been committed to change.

"There's been so much that I've had the privilege to be able to steward through: Māori wards - the ability to support the strengthening of local government to be future fit, to be a more resilient sector.

"I've led some controversial reforms, but no one will ever accuse me of sitting on my hands when I had the chance to lead change."

Maipi-Clarke is not the only newcomer nudging out a senior Labour MP in the Māori electorates.

Tākuta Ferris is on track to take Te Tai Tonga from Labour’s Rino Ritikatene, who has held the seat since 2011.

Only days ago, The Press, citing polls, concluded Ferris “may be waiting some time for his chance to enter Parliament”.

But he is more than 1000 votes ahead of Tirikatene.

Earlier in the evening, Te Pāti Maori candidate Mariameno Kapa-Kingi looked set to unseat Labour’s Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis in Te Tai Tokerau, but as the count continued, Davis edged ahead, though his lead remains small.

In Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, another political newcomer, Cushla Tanagaere-Manuel, is on track to oust the incumbent.

Meka Whaitiri, who dramatically ditched Labour for Te Paati Māori, lags several thousands of votes behind Tanagaere-Manuel.

"My commitment to getting around Ikaroa-Rawhiti appears to be paying off, and it's very humbling and rewarding," Tanagaere-Manual said.

Te Pāti Maori co-leaders Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer are streaks ahead of the competition in Waiariki and Te Tai Hauāuru, respectively.

Waititi has held Waiariki since he ousted Labour’s Tamati Coffey at the 2020 election, but Ngarewa-Packer was previously in Parliament as a list MP.

The Te Tai Hauāuru incumbent Adrian Rurawhe opted to go on the Labour list after being elected Parliament’s speaker, and Ngarewa-Packer has more than double the vote of his Labour replacement Soraya Peke-Mason.