Election 26: Banks Peninsula Labour candidate Tracey McLellan still in the lead

87.4 per cent of the votes have been counted in the Banks Peninsula electorate, with Labour candidate Tracey McLellan still in the lead.

McLellan currently has 18,395 votes. National candidate Vanessa Weenink remains close, with 16,114 votes but is slipping behind. 

Labour is pulling ahead in the electorate party vote, with 27.9% of the votes, while National sits at 25.9%. 

The Greens are at 18.2%, Opportunity at 10.2%, ACT at 9.1%, and NZ First at 7.9%. 

National candidate Vanessa Weenink said she has hope the votes coming in later will make a difference and pull through for her. 

"I wouldn't be willing to call it yet." 

She said she campaigned by playing a "gritty ground game", and being an MP that was "present in the community". 

Weenink has been the electorate MP since 2023. 

Tracey McLellan, who remains around 2000 votes above Weenick, says she feels "really really privileged" and "amazing". 

"It kind of reflects what I was feeling on the ground...they were really resonant with the fact that Labour had some good solutions."

She said she feels incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support she received in the Banks Peninsula, and that she hopes to win the electorate and work hard for the place and people she loves. 

McLellan previously held the position from 2020-2023.

She is currently Junior Whip, and the chair of the Health Select Committee in Parliament. She was previously Labour’s Senior Vice President. 

Final voting results will be released on the 27th of November.