Election Battlegrounds
2026 election →

Seats to watch

Every electorate has its own battle page, with the defender, the record and the contest. The closest 2023 races are the likeliest to change hands in 2026; hotter colours mean tighter races.

The two rolls cover the same land, so view one at a time.
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Tap a seat
Hotter colours are the closest 2023 contests, the seats most likely to change hands.
Ultra-marginal: 11
Marginal: 10
Competitive: 11
Safe: 38

Every seat, ranked by margin

Closest races first. Filter to a tier, or browse them all.

Mt AlbertHelen White · LabourUltra-marginal2023 majority 18
NelsonRachel Boyack · LabourUltra-marginal2023 majority 26
Te AtatūPhil Twyford · LabourUltra-marginal2023 majority 131
Banks PeninsulaVanessa Weenink · NationalUltra-marginal2023 majority 396
Te Tai TokerauMariameno Kapa-Kingi · IndependentUltra-marginal2023 majority 517Māori
New LynnPaulo Garcia · NationalUltra-marginal2023 majority 1,013
West Coast-TasmanMaureen Pugh · NationalUltra-marginal2023 majority 1,017
WigramMegan Woods · LabourUltra-marginal2023 majority 1,179
ŌhāriuGreg O'Connor · LabourUltra-marginal2023 majority 1,260
Hutt SouthChris Bishop · NationalUltra-marginal2023 majority 1,332
TaieriIngrid Leary · LabourUltra-marginal2023 majority 1,443
Mt RoskillCarlos Cheung · NationalMarginal2023 majority 1,564
Christchurch CentralDuncan Webb · LabourMarginal2023 majority 1,841
Christchurch EastReuben Davidson · LabourMarginal2023 majority 2,397
RongotaiJulie Anne Genter · GreenMarginal2023 majority 2,717
WairarapaMike Butterick · NationalMarginal2023 majority 2,816
Te Tai TongaTākuta Ferris · IndependentMarginal2023 majority 2,824Māori
Ikaroa-RāwhitiCushla Tangaere-Manuel · LabourMarginal2023 majority 2,874Māori
Hauraki-WaikatoHana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke · Te Pāti MāoriMarginal2023 majority 2,911Māori
Palmerston NorthTangi Utikere · LabourMarginal2023 majority 3,087
East CoastDana Kirkpatrick · NationalMarginal2023 majority 3,199
Auckland CentralChlöe Swarbrick · GreenCompetitive2023 majority 3,896
TāmakiBrooke van Velden · ACTCompetitive2023 majority 4,158
KelstonCarmel Sepuloni · LabourCompetitive2023 majority 4,396
MaungakiekieGreg Fleming · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 4,617
Hamilton EastRyan Hamilton · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 5,060
WhanganuiCarl Bates · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 5,512
Wellington CentralTamatha Paul · GreenCompetitive2023 majority 6,066
NorthlandGrant McCallum · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 6,087
ŌtakiTim Costley · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 6,271
Hamilton WestTama Potaka · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 6,488
New PlymouthDavid MacLeod · NationalCompetitive2023 majority 6,991
ManurewaArena Williams · LabourSafe2023 majority 7,113
ManaBarbara Edmonds · LabourSafe2023 majority 7,324
IlamHamish Campbell · NationalSafe2023 majority 7,830
Panmure-ŌtāhuhuJenny Salesa · LabourSafe2023 majority 7,970
DunedinRachel Brooking · LabourSafe2023 majority 7,980
EpsomDavid Seymour · ACTSafe2023 majority 8,142
TakaniniRima Nakhle · NationalSafe2023 majority 8,775
RemutakaChris Hipkins · LabourSafe2023 majority 8,859
NapierKatie Nimon · NationalSafe2023 majority 8,909
RotoruaTodd McClay · NationalSafe2023 majority 8,923
Te Tai HauāuruDebbie Ngarewa-Packer · Te Pāti MāoriSafe2023 majority 9,162Māori
NorthcoteDan Bidois · NationalSafe2023 majority 9,270
TaurangaSam Uffindell · NationalSafe2023 majority 9,370
RangitīkeiSuze Redmayne · NationalSafe2023 majority 9,785
InvercargillPenny Simmonds · NationalSafe2023 majority 9,874
TukitukiCatherine Wedd · NationalSafe2023 majority 10,118
RangitataJames Meager · NationalSafe2023 majority 10,846
Upper HarbourCameron Brewer · NationalSafe2023 majority 11,192
KaikōuraStuart Smith · NationalSafe2023 majority 11,412
WhangāreiShane Reti · NationalSafe2023 majority 11,424
MāngereLemauga Lydia Sosene · LabourSafe2023 majority 11,712
WaitakiMiles Anderson · NationalSafe2023 majority 12,151
WaimakaririMatt Doocey · NationalSafe2023 majority 13,010
PapakuraJudith Collins · NationalSafe2023 majority 13,519
Taranaki-King CountryBarbara Kuriger · NationalSafe2023 majority 14,355
Bay of PlentyTom Rutherford · NationalSafe2023 majority 15,405
WaiarikiRawiri Waititi · Te Pāti MāoriSafe2023 majority 15,891Māori
BotanyChristopher Luxon · NationalSafe2023 majority 16,323
North ShoreSimon Watts · NationalSafe2023 majority 16,330
TaupōLouise Upston · NationalSafe2023 majority 16,505
SouthlandJoseph Mooney · NationalSafe2023 majority 17,211
CoromandelScott Simpson · NationalSafe2023 majority 17,349
WaikatoTim van de Molen · NationalSafe2023 majority 18,548
PakurangaSimeon Brown · NationalSafe2023 majority 18,710
Kaipara ki MahurangiChris Penk · NationalSafe2023 majority 19,459
SelwynNicola Grigg · NationalSafe2023 majority 19,782
East Coast BaysErica Stanford · NationalSafe2023 majority 20,353
WhangaparāoaMark Mitchell · NationalSafe2023 majority 23,376
Port WaikatoAndrew Bayly · NationalResult pending2023 majority pending
Tāmaki MakaurauOriini Kaipara · Te Pāti MāoriResult pending2023 majority pendingMāori

Marginality is based on the official 2023 winning margins (Electoral Commission). Tap any seat, on the map or in the list, for its battle page. 2026 candidates appear on each battle page as parties confirm them during the campaign.