Former minister faces a difficult electorate contest in Auckland, with preliminary results showing Fleming ahead as more than three-quarters of voting places report.
By Webfit News Political Desk | 7 November 2026
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Priyanca Radhakrishnan Trails National’s Greg Fleming in Maungakiekie as Election Count Continues
Former minister faces a difficult electorate contest in Auckland, with preliminary results showing Fleming ahead as more than three-quarters of voting places report.
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AUCKLAND: Labour MP and former Cabinet minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan is trailing National’s Greg Fleming in the Maungakiekie electorate as counting continues in New Zealand’s 2026 general election.
According to preliminary results displayed on the Webfit News election portal on Saturday night, Fleming was ahead of Radhakrishnan by 2,683 votes, with approximately 77.8% of voting places reporting.
The figures suggest Radhakrishnan faces a significant challenge in her attempt to reclaim the Auckland electorate she previously represented.
However, the result remains provisional, with outstanding ordinary votes and special votes still to be included in the final count.
A contest to reclaim her former electorate
Maungakiekie holds particular significance for Radhakrishnan, who represented the electorate between 2020 and 2023.
She first entered Parliament in 2017 as a Labour list MP before winning Maungakiekie during Labour’s landslide victory in 2020.
National’s Greg Fleming subsequently won the electorate in the 2023 general election, defeating Labour by 4,617 votes.
The 2026 contest has therefore become another direct electoral battle between the two politicians.
Fleming is seeking to retain the seat, while Radhakrishnan is attempting to return as its electorate MP.
From Cabinet minister to a closely watched electorate contest
Radhakrishnan is a prominent figure within New Zealand’s Indian-origin community and served in several ministerial portfolios under the previous Labour government.
Her responsibilities included Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, Community and Voluntary Sector, Disability Issues and Youth.
Following Labour’s defeat in 2023, she remained in Parliament as a list MP and continued serving in opposition.
Her involvement in ethnic communities and social policy has made her a familiar political figure across Auckland and New Zealand’s wider multicultural population.
What the preliminary figures mean
The latest Maungakiekie figures available to Webfit News show Fleming maintaining a lead as the count progresses.
But election-night results are not final.
The Electoral Commission’s preliminary count covers ordinary votes, while special votes, including overseas votes, are processed later.
The Commission expects to publish the official results on 27 November 2026.
An electorate defeat would not automatically determine Radhakrishnan’s parliamentary future. Her position on Labour’s party list and the party’s final allocation of seats will also be relevant.
Election night continues
The Maungakiekie contest is among the electorate races being monitored as New Zealand awaits the final composition of its next Parliament.
For Radhakrishnan, the immediate question is whether the remaining count can narrow Fleming’s lead. For Fleming, the preliminary figures show him ahead in his bid to retain the electorate.
Webfit News will continue tracking Maungakiekie and the other 70 electorate contests as updated results become available.
Follow the live election results:
https://poll.webfitnews.co.nz/results-2026
Editor’s note: The 2,683-vote margin and 77.8% reporting figure are from the Webfit News dashboard screenshot supplied during election night. They are a time-specific snapshot, not the final result.
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