Incumbent candidate for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, Labour Party's Meka Whaitiri looks set to retain her seat with preliminary results showing her with a whopping lead.
With almost 70% of booths counted in the region Meka is maintaining a comfortable lead at least 1000 votes ahead of her closest competitor Marama Fox.
Māori seat Labour MPs announced earlier this year that they would remove themselves from the party list. Luckily for Whaitiri, the latest Election Aotearoa preferred candidate polls for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti shows Whaitiri appears to have a stronghold on the region, leading with 55%.
Marama Fox from the Māori Party is currently 4176 votes.
Whaitiri assumed office in June 2013 following the sudden death of the late Hon Parekura Horomia.
From Wellington in the south to Potaka, and inland to the Tarawera township, the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti region is a long and vast electorate. It includes towns like Gisborne, Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Masterton and the Hutt.