Helen White prepares for close Mt Albert electorate contest
Tuesday 6 October 2026 · 2 outlets · 3 reports · updated In this story Labour Party, National Party, Helen White
Labour MP Helen White is campaigning to retain the Mt Albert seat, which she won by 18 votes in 2023. She was recently joined by Chris Hipkins to meet voters and stallholders as the contest is expected to be close.
Key facts
4 facts
- Labour has held the Mt Albert seat for 80 years
- Helen White won the Mt Albert seat in 2023 by 18 votes
- The seat was previously held by former prime ministers Helen Clark and Jacinda Ardern
- White is number 37 on the Labour list
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
Labour MP Helen White is preparing for a tight re-election campaign in Mt Albert, a seat Labour has held for 80 years. White won the electorate in 2023 by a margin of only 18 votes.
A recent Curia poll commissioned by The Spinoff shows a close race between White and National's Melissa Lee. The poll placed White at 33% and Lee at 32%, though another version of the poll results placed Lee at 37% and White at 33%.
Other candidates in the race include Greens' Ricardo Menéndez March, who polled at 14%, and Opportunity Party's Qiulae Wong, who polled at 10%. White expressed surprise that Wong was polling in fourth place.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins visited the Wesley Community Market on Tuesday to support White. During the visit, Hipkins stated, “She’s doing a great job here as the local MP, we’ve got to make sure she’s re-elected”.
How it developed
- Wed 7 Oct, 4:00amChris Hipkins visited the Wesley Community Market to support White and meet local voters.
Where reports differ
- One report states the Curia poll placed Lee at 32%, while another report states she was at 37%
Compiled from reports by Stuff and The Post.
