McAnulty v Butterick: Wairarapa election result in the balance
The Wairarapa electorate result appears set to be a tight one after early votes were counted.
Kieran McAnulty is leading Mike Butterick by a margin of 652, with 11.8% of votes counted.
The 2026 contest was a National–Labour rematch between National incumbent Butterick, a sheep-and-beef farmer and Associate Minister of Agriculture, and Kieran McAnulty, Labour’s 2026 election campaign chair.
It’s an electorate often seen as a rural swing seat and its geography stretches across Wairarapa, Tararua and part of Central Hawke’s Bay, with Carterton, Featherston, Greytown, Martinborough and Eketāhuna among its communities.
Eight candidates contested the seat - including former Defence Minister and twice Carterton mayor Ron Mark for NZ First, first-time candidate Lauren Craig for the Greens, Masterton relief teacher and former Navy chef Matt Shepherd for The Opportunities Party, Victoria Ale for Alliance, Barry Young for the NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party and Jared Warren Gardner for Te Pāti Hira.
Only Butterick and McAnulty had a realistic chance to win, with Shepherd, Craig and Mark asking for the party vote.
2023 results
In 2023, Butterick won Wairarapa from Labour incumbent McAnulty on the final count, 20,313 votes to 17,497 – a margin of 2816. Turnout was 82.66%.
The electorate party vote was National 17,397, Labour 12,223, and Act 4752.
On election night, Butterick led McAnulty 17,908 to 15,427, or 2481 votes; special votes increased the final margin by 335.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeart app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeart is easy to use and all FREE