Seats to watch Hutt South, Nelson, Banks Peninsula, Wigram, Whanganui and Kāpiti were either tight races between National and Labour last time around, or could change hands after boundaries were re-drawn. Wairarapa, West Coast-Tasman and Hamilton East are historically National strongholds. If they flip red, that could be an early signal for good overall outcome for Labour. The Tāmaki electorate has traditionally been held by National but was taken by the libertarian Act party in 2023. This year, the race between those parties’ candidates and newcomer Labour candidate Max Harris is tight – a Harris win would be a surprise upset for the right. Meanwhile, Green candidate Kahurangi Carter is vying to claim Christchurch Central. If Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick keeps Auckland Central and Tamatha Paul nabs Wellington North, New Zealand’s three largest city centre electorates will be represented by the Green party. Maungakiekie could also be an indicator for the final results. Over the pas