Safe battleground

Invercargill

General electorate

—

days to election day

What it takes to flip this seat

Penny Simmonds won by 9,874 votes in 2023 — 4,937 voters switching to a challenger would have flipped Invercargill.

In the news

Coverage naming Invercargill or Penny, from our tracked feeds.

No coverage naming Invercargill or its MP yet in our tracked feeds — this fills in automatically as outlets report on the race.

The roster

The defender's record, and who's confirmed to challenge them in 2026.

Won Invercargill by a majority of 9,874 in 2023 — a safe seat.

Penny Simmonds is the Member of Parliament for Invercargill. First elected in 2020, she is Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology and Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills.

Full MP profile

What Penny has prioritised this term

Official roles, sourced from parliament.nz.

Spokesperson roles

Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology
Minister for Tertiary Education
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment

Legislative activity this term

From Parliament's official bills record, as at 24 June 2026.

Government bills in charge (4)

Meteorological Services (Acquisition and Policies) Legislation Amendment Bill
Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill
Gene Technology Bill
Waste Minimisation (Waste Disposal Levy) Amendment Bill

Battlegrounds map 2026 election

2023 result and margin: Electoral Commission. 2026 candidates are added only once officially confirmed — never assumed.