Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says she is “absolutely thrilled” after comfortably holding the electorate at Saturday’s general election, securing a third term in Parliament.
Preliminary results show the National MP won 19,727 votes, 9615 ahead of first-time Labour candidate Janice Lee on 10,112.
National also won the party vote in the electorate, with 11,280 votes to Labour’s 9090, although that was 4747 fewer than it got in 2023.
Simmonds, who first won the seat in 2020, said the result belonged as much to her supporters as to her.
“On a local level, I’m really thrilled, absolutely thrilled,” she said. “I’ve had tremendous support from such a lot of people, and so it’s a really exciting thing to be able to bring it home for them and reward them for all their hard work.”
The win means Simmonds is set to serve nine years as the electorate’s representative, “as long as I can make it right through,” she added.
She said watching the votes come in on election night was humbling. “It’s a real thrill to be able to represent the people of Invercargill and the surrounding rural areas up in Wellington. When you see the numbers coming through, you think, gosh, there’s that many people that have given their vote to me and entrusted me to represent them. You should always remember that. It’s a really humbling thing, and I’m very grateful to them all for voting.”
The Invercargill electorate covers the city and its surrounding rural communities, including Bluff, Riverton/Aparima and Stewart Island. National has held the seat since 2005.
These results are preliminary. Official results, including special votes, are due from the Electoral Commission after 27 November.