The Māori Party's candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau, Shane Taurima, first entered politics in 2013 when he contested the Labour Party candidacy for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election.
Prekiminary results show Taurima on 1700 votes with 22.3% of the booths counted so far, well ahead of him is Henare who has 3016 votes.
Regardless Taurima is adamant the tide could change.
Taurima – of Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Kahungunu descent – later went on to run for Labour’s Tāmaki Makaurau candidacy in 2014.
“My grandparents taught me the importance of whānau, looking after one another and good old fashioned values like honesty, loyalty and hard work. I moved to Auckland 21 years ago to pursue a career in broadcasting – I have dedicated my life both on and off the screen to highlighting and investigating some of the most challenging issues facing whanau.”
Recent Māori Television's poll results for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate pointed to a tight race.
Incumbent Tāmaki Makaurau MP, Labour’s Peeni Henare, scored 46% followed not far behind by Taurima on just over 32%.