Surrounded by approximately 60 supporters, Todd McClay celebrated a significant milestone on election night as he secured his seventh term as the Member of Parliament for Rotorua. The National Party’s Todd McClay claimed victory with 85.8% of the votes tallied, establishing a lead of 4,907 votes over Labour candidate Fisher Wang.
As the results refreshed on screen throughout the evening, the atmosphere at McClay’s election gathering remained jovial. Addressing the crowd, McClay emphasized the collective effort behind his campaign, telling his supporters, Put your hands together for your hard work because this is your victory.
While McClay faced additional challenges from Opportunity’s Finn Liley and New Zealand First’s Billy Brown, his win follows a 2023 general election performance where he secured a winning margin of 8,923 votes.
A Continued National Stronghold
With this latest win, McClay noted that the Rotorua electorate is on track to remain a National stronghold for a 21-year period by the end of his upcoming term. Reflecting on his 18 years of service, he highlighted infrastructure projects completed during his tenure, including a new police station, hospital upgrades, and the development of four new roading entrances. He also noted a soon-to-be-completed courthouse, emphasizing that his focus remains on fixing issues rather than chasing new projects. He specifically highlighted efforts over the past three years to restore local pride following the challenges caused by emergency housing, stating, that is not to lay blame because those people deserved a house but Rotorua did not deserve to have them dumped here.
McClay’s successful campaign comes one year after the death of his father, Roger McClay, a former politician and Children’s Commissioner.
Fisher Wang Concedes Race to Incumbent Todd
Fisher Wang, who conceded the race at 10:30 p.m., stated that while he was proud of his efforts to narrow the margin, it was not meant to be tonight.
Wang offered his support to the incumbent, noting that the electorate must now move forward.
I wish Todd all the best, they have a big job ahead and he has my support as the successful candidate in this election,
Wang said, adding that he appreciated the civil nature of the local contest. Following the tally, the National Party held a lead in the party vote within the electorate at 32.49%, followed by the Labour Party at 24%.
