The Tukituki electorate, which includes Hastings, Havelock North and parts of Central Hawke’s Bay, was won in 2023 by National MP Catherine Wedd, who beat Labour’s Anna Lorck by about 10,000 votes.
Lorck had secured the seat in 2020 amid the surge in support for Labour which helped the party achieve a parliamentary majority.
Labour is yet to confirm its Tukituki candidate for the upcoming election.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.