Last updated 21:56, June 9 2018
DAVID WHITE/STUFF
Northcote has a new MP, National's Dan Bidois.
Northcote has a new MP, National's Dan Bidois.
Auckland's Northcote by-election has been won by National's Dan Bidois who is promising to go in and "fight" for the electorate.
Bidois got 10,147 votes against Labour's Shanan Halbert who received 8785.
It was a slim margin of 1362 votes and Labour is celebrating increasing its portion of the vote.
New Northcote MP Dan Bidois said he was humbled by the result.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was "so proud" of Labour Northcote candidate Shanan Halbert.
"It is a fantastic result for the National Party and I will be fighting from tomorrow morning."
Bidois said engagement with voters was "very positive".
"They liked my story, they liked my aspirations, and I think that very much reflects the aspirations of this community.
"It's very clear they want a fighter. They want someone to go in to bat for them on the things that matter to them."
Tackling congestion will be his first task as MP, he said.
Despite the defeat Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was at the Labour campaign function in Hillcrest, said she was proud of Halbert.
National's Dan Bidois came out on top, beating Labour's Shanan Halbert by 1362 votes.
Labour were calling it an historic night for "slashing" the vote differential.
Ardern said by-elections were "hard work".
"You did a brilliant job we are so proud of you Shanan," Ardern said.
Halbert, addressing his supporters, said he was grateful for the support and had contacted Bidois to congratulate him.
He vowed to run again in 2020.
"I believe Northcote can be held by Labour and that is our goal."
Northcote's new MP works for Foodstuffs as a strategy manager.
Traditionally, Northcote has been a bellwether electorate for New Zealand, meaning the vote mirrors the country as a whole.
It has also long been a National stronghold.
The position was left open after former National Party MP and Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman left politics in March.
Saturday night's election results saw a considerably narrower margin between National and Labour than in previous years.
Halbert, who works for Te Wananga o Aoteroa, ran against Coleman in 2017 - losing by about 6200 votes - narrowing the 9700 majority Coleman won in 2014.
The electorate includes the communities of Northcote, Birkenhead, Chatswood, Beach Haven, Hillcrest and parts of Glenfield.
The seat has a very high proportion of people aged between 30 and 49, and a median family income of $82,900, well above the national median.
The preliminary results were based on the 19,900 ordinary votes counted on election night.
Special declaration votes still to be counted were estimated to be 1105 - 5.3 per cent of total votes. This included an estimated 140 overseas votes.
There were 21,005 total estimated votes (those counted on election night plus estimated special votes to be counted).
For the first time in a parliamentary election, more votes were taken during the advance voting period than on election day, the Electoral Commission said.
An estimated 57 per cent of votes were cast in advance.