Two National Party candidates face difficult electoral contests in Wellington and South Auckland, with preliminary results highlighting the challenge of breaking through in...
Two National Party candidates face difficult electoral contests in Wellington and South Auckland, with preliminary results highlighting the challenge of breaking through in traditionally Labour and Green strongholds.
By Webfit News Political Desk | 7 November 2026
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND: National Party candidates Karunā Muthu and Ghouse Majeed are facing challenging electorate contests in New Zealand’s 2026 general election, as preliminary counting continues across the country.
Muthu, contesting Wellington Bays, is trailing Green Party candidate Julie Anne Genter and Labour’s Craig Renney in the Electoral Commission figures available for verification.
In South Auckland, Majeed is attempting to unseat Labour MP Arena Williams in Manurewa, an electorate with a long history of Labour representation.
Both contests are attracting interest as the election-night count provides an indication of the political landscape ahead of the official results.
Karunā Muthu trails Green and Labour candidates in Wellington Bays
National’s Karunā Muthu faces a difficult contest in Wellington Bays, where Green MP Julie Anne Genter and Labour candidate Craig Renney have emerged as the principal contenders.
The Electoral Commission’s preliminary figures retrieved for verification showed Genter leading with 2,065 candidate votes, followed closely by Renney on 1,941.
Muthu was in third place with 616 votes.
At that stage, 5 of the electorate’s 74 voting-place results had been counted, representing approximately 6.8% of the count.
Genter’s lead over Renney stood at just 124 votes, indicating a competitive contest between the Green and Labour candidates.
These are verified early-count figures, not a confirmed final or latest election-night tally.
Wellington Bays is a newly configured electorate following the 2025 boundary review. It includes communities previously represented through Rongotai and Wellington Central.
Genter won Rongotai in the 2023 general election, defeating Labour by 2,717 votes.
The new electorate has attracted candidates from several political parties, including ACT’s Nicole McKee and the Opportunity Party’s Kayla Kingdon-Bebb.
For Muthu, the challenge is significant. National is seeking to strengthen its presence in an area where Labour and the Greens have historically enjoyed substantial electoral support.
The preliminary figures available for verification place him well behind the leading candidates, although the final margin will depend on the completed count.
Ghouse Majeed faces Labour stronghold in Manurewa
In South Auckland, National Party candidate Ghouse Majeed is challenging incumbent Labour MP Arena Williams for the Manurewa electorate.
Williams has represented Manurewa since 2020 and successfully retained the seat in the 2023 general election.
Manurewa has been represented by Labour MPs for decades, making it a difficult electorate for National to capture.
At the 2023 election, Williams defeated National by 7,113 candidate votes under the electorate boundaries then in effect.
The 2026 contest is being held under revised boundaries, meaning comparisons with previous election margins must be treated carefully.
Majeed is competing against Williams, New Zealand First candidate Esther Tofilau-Tevaga and Animal Justice Party candidate Avalua Tavui.
While Majeed faces a substantial historical electoral challenge, a current verified candidate-vote margin was not available at the time of this report.
It would therefore be premature to declare his final position or the outcome of the Manurewa contest.
The result will provide an indication of whether National has managed to strengthen its electorate support in this part of South Auckland.
What the results mean for National
The performances of Muthu and Majeed highlight the challenge facing National candidates in electorates where opposition parties have traditionally maintained strong support.
However, losing an electorate contest does not automatically eliminate a candidate’s opportunity to enter Parliament.
Under New Zealand’s Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, candidates may also enter Parliament through their party’s list, depending on their list ranking and the number of parliamentary seats their party receives.
Consequently, the nationwide party vote remains important in determining the final composition of Parliament.
Official results still to come
Election-night results remain preliminary.
The Electoral Commission will complete further counting, including special votes and overseas votes, before declaring the official results.
The official declaration is scheduled for Friday, 27 November 2026.
Until then, electorate margins and parliamentary seat allocations remain subject to change.
For Karunā Muthu and Ghouse Majeed, the completed results will determine the outcome of their individual campaigns and provide a clearer picture of National’s electoral performance in Wellington Bays and Manurewa.
Follow the latest New Zealand election results, electorate contests and parliamentary seat projections on Webfit News Community Pulse 2026.
https://poll.webfitnews.co.nz/results-2026
Source: New Zealand Electoral Commission preliminary results and official election information. Figures are subject to revision as counting continues.
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