Labour's Stuart Nash is almost certain to retain his Napier seat with 90.7 per cent of the vote counted tonight.
Mr Nash had secured 18,332 votes - 4,474 ahead of his National Party opponent David Elliott's 13,858.
A happy Mr Nash said he was looking forward to "celebrating with a drink" with his Labour colleagues in Wellington.
Earlier in the evening, National's first-time candidate David Elliott said "you never lose hope".
"We have a healthy lead in the party vote, so I am feeling pretty good there," he said.