Rainbow representation is taking shape following New Zealand’s general election, with Chlöe Swarbrick and Tangi Utikere leading their electorates, Shanan Halbert and James Christmas on track for list seats, and Labour’s Georgie Dansey facing a nail-biting wait.
The completed preliminary election-night count has delivered an encouraging picture for several openly LGBTQ+ politicians across the political spectrum, although hundreds of thousands of special votes are still to be counted.
With all election-night voting-place returns now reported, the Electoral Commission’s preliminary figures show familiar rainbow representatives on course to return to Parliament, alongside potential newcomers.
However, the final parliamentary line-up remains uncertain, particularly for candidates in closely contested electorates and those near the cut-off for party list seats.
Chlöe Swarbrick Holds Strong Lead In Auckland Central
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick is on track to retain Auckland Central after finishing election night with a lead of 2,831 votes.
Swarbrick secured 13,942 electorate votes, ahead of National candidate Candace Kinser on 11,111.
All 104 election-night voting-place returns have been reported.
The result puts Swarbrick in a strong preliminary position to continue representing the central Auckland electorate she first won in 2020.
Swarbrick is also ranked second on the Green Party list, meaning her route back to Parliament is not dependent solely on winning Auckland Central.
The Greens are projected to secure 16 seats nationwide, according to the preliminary party vote.
Tangi Utikere Leads In Palmerston North
Labour’s openly gay MP Tangi Utikere is also well placed to return to Parliament.
Utikere finished the election-night count in Palmerston North with 17,129 votes, ahead of National’s Ankit Bansal on 14,196.
His preliminary majority stands at 2,933 votes, with all 63 voting-place returns counted.
Utikere, who became Palmerston North’s MP in 2020, has been a visible member of Labour’s rainbow caucus.
His lead suggests another term representing the Manawatū electorate, subject to the official count.
Shanan Halbert Set For A Parliamentary Comeback
Former Labour MP Shanan Halbert appears poised to return to Parliament through the party list.
Although Halbert trails National’s Dan Bidois in Northcote by 3,064 votes, his position at number 19 on Labour’s list gives him a route back to the Beehive.
The Electoral Commission currently includes Halbert among Labour’s projected successful candidates.
The openly gay politician previously represented Northcote from 2020 to 2023 and has been involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy and community engagement.
Labour is provisionally allocated 36 seats, putting Halbert comfortably within the party’s current parliamentary line-up.
Fellow Labour MPs Ayesha Verrall and Glen Bennett are also projected to return through the list.
Verrall is ranked sixth, while Bennett sits at number 25.
Bennett contested Coromandel, where National’s Scott Simpson leads by 14,932 votes, but his party list position provides a separate route to Parliament.
James Christmas On Track To Become ACT’s New Gay MP
One of the more notable developments for rainbow representation is the projected election of James Christmas through ACT New Zealand.
The openly gay lawyer and former National Party candidate is ranked seventh on ACT’s list, placing him within the party’s current allocation of 13 seats.
Christmas is set to join returning ACT MP Todd Stephenson, who is ranked sixth.
His prospective arrival adds another openly gay voice to the ACT parliamentary team.
Christmas previously worked as a senior adviser to former National prime ministers John Key and Bill English, and has a background in public and constitutional law.
His political journey has taken him from standing for National in 2023 to becoming an ACT candidate in 2026.
Both Christmas and Stephenson appear on the Electoral Commission’s preliminary successful-candidates list.
The result also illustrates how openly LGBTQ+ politicians can be represented across parties with differing policy positions on issues affecting rainbow communities.
Greens Projected To Return Rainbow Advocates
The Green Party’s projected 16-seat allocation also places several familiar politicians and rainbow advocates on course to return.
Among those appearing in the preliminary parliamentary allocation are Lawrence Xu-Nan, Ricardo Menéndez March and Kahu Carter.
Their respective party list rankings are eighth, ninth and 11th.
Another notable prospective arrival is Rohan O’Neill-Stevens, the former Nelson deputy mayor, who is ranked 16th on the Green Party list.
With the party currently projected to receive exactly 16 seats, O’Neill-Stevens sits at the edge of its preliminary allocation.
That makes the final party vote particularly important for determining whether the young politician enters Parliament.
Other Green candidates, including Louise Hutt, Lauren Craig and Anjana Iyer, currently sit outside the projected allocation.
Their list rankings are 19th, 23rd and 38th respectively.
While the preliminary count provides an indication of who may be elected, changes to the party vote after special votes are counted could affect the final allocation.
Georgie Dansey Faces A Nail-Biting Wait In Hamilton East
For Labour MP Georgie Dansey, the election-night result is considerably closer.
Dansey, who entered Parliament earlier this year and serves as Labour’s spokesperson for Rainbow Issues, is just 456 votes behind National’s Ryan Hamilton in Hamilton East.
Hamilton finished the preliminary count with 14,139 votes, compared with Dansey’s 13,683.
All 72 election-night voting-place returns have been counted.
The narrow margin means special votes could be particularly significant.
Dansey, who has spoken openly about her identity as a rainbow woman and her commitment to LGBTQ+ communities, is ranked 32nd on Labour’s party list.
Unlike Halbert and Bennett, she does not currently appear among Labour’s projected successful candidates.
That means her parliamentary future may depend on overturning the electorate result or a change in Labour’s final allocation of list seats.
The official count will determine whether she retains a place in Parliament.
Nearly 400,000 Special Votes Still To Be Counted
Although the election-night count is complete, New Zealand’s final results are still almost three weeks away.
The Electoral Commission estimates that approximately 399,365 special votes remain to be checked and counted.
These include overseas votes and ballots cast by people who were not on the printed electoral roll at their voting place.
Ordinary votes will also be recounted as part of the official process.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the release of the official election results for Friday 27 November.
That means close electorate contests, including Dansey’s Hamilton East race, remain unresolved.
List allocations could also change, particularly for candidates close to their party’s final seat entitlement.
What Does This Mean For Rainbow Aotearoa?
The preliminary election results point towards continued LGBTQ+ representation in Parliament, with openly rainbow politicians on track to serve across Labour, the Greens and ACT.
For rainbow and takatāpui communities, that representation is one part of a wider political picture.
The next Parliament will make decisions affecting healthcare access, discrimination protections, education, HIV prevention, gender-affirming care and funding for community organisations.
However, the presence of LGBTQ+ MPs does not necessarily mean those politicians or their parties will agree on every rainbow-related issue.
Their policy positions, parliamentary votes and influence within their parties will be important to watch.
The final party vote will also help determine which political parties have the numbers to form a government, and which policy commitments emerge from any negotiations.
For now, several familiar rainbow voices are well placed to return, while prospective newcomers including James Christmas and Rohan O’Neill-Stevens are on course to join them.
But with Georgie Dansey just 456 votes behind in Hamilton East and list seats still subject to change, the final picture is not yet settled.
For Rainbow Aotearoa, election night has provided some clear indications of who may represent our communities in the next Parliament — but the official count on 27 November will tell the full story.
Results checked at approximately 7.38am NZDT, Sunday 8 November 2026. All figures are preliminary.
