Election 2026: New faces circle Tāmaki Makaurau as Labour weighs contenders for key Māori seat

A familiar face is keen to run against standing MP Oriini Kaipara in the Tāmaki Makaurau seat. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Former Auckland mayoral candidate Kerrin Leoni is eyeing a run at national politics - via the Tāmaki Makaurau seat currently held by Oriini Kaipara for Te Pāti Māori.

The former Auckland Councillor - who lost the Auckland mayoralty race to Wayne Brown last year - is keen to run as a Labour Party candidate at November’s general election.

Labour is in the process of working through who will stand for the party in the seven Māori electorates; with a date on when they will be confirmed yet to be released.

The Herald understands Leoni is one of two who have put their names forward to stand against incumbent Kaipara - who won last year’s Tāmaki Makaurau byelection following the death of Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

Nathaniel Howe, pictured with former All Black Dan Carter, is hoping to beat Kerrin Leoni to Labour's nomination for the Tāmaki Makaurau seat. Photo / File

The second is former TVNZ video journalist Nathaniel Howe, managing director of Mauri Media and Maimoa Music.

“I can confirm I have put my name forward but [am] unable to talk about the process,” Howe told the Herald.

Leoni too said she is interested in standing for Labour but will not discuss it until the selection process has been completed.

If successful in gaining the nomination, it will be the second General Election campaign Leoni has fought.

Six years ago, she won the Labour nomination for the Waikato electorate - but was unable to topple sitting National MP Tim van de Molen, and her position of 66 on Labour’s list didn’t take her to Parliament.

Kerrin Leoni unsuccessfully stood in the Waikato electorate in 2020. Photo / Supplied

When Leoni lost out in the 2025 race to become Auckland mayor, she won 77,537 votes to Wayne Brown’s 180,130.

Labour’s search for a new candidate in Tāmaki comes after four-term Labour MP Peeni Henare announced he was stepping away from politics.

Labour’s Māori caucus chair Willie Jackson told the Herald Labour would run excellent candidates in the seven Māori electorates and the election would be a great opportunity for Labour to win back a number of Māori electorates.

Unsuccessful Auckland mayoral candidate Kerrin Leoni (inset) is eyeing a run at national politics - eyeing up former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara’s Tamaki Makaurau seat. New Zealand Herald composite photo

Te Pāti Māori holds six of the seven Māori electorates but infighting last year with its Te Tai Tokerau and Te Tai Tonga MPs could potentially cost it seats.

Cushla Tangaere-Manuel is Labour’s sole MP from a Māori electorate, with the former provincial rugby boss securing the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti seat at the 2023 General Election.

The Labour Party's Māori co-chair and Māori electorate strategist Willie Jackson. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“We will have strong candidates in all of the seven Māori electorates, with a fresh faces and well-known Māori candidates,” Jackson said.

“I can’t get into who those candidates are until we have been through the internal candidacy nomination process.”

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as kaupapa Māori editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and worked for urban Māori organisation Whānau Waipareira.