# Christchurch East

Christchurch East, originally called Christchurch City East, is a current New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was first created for the 1871 election and was abolished for two periods, from 1875–1905 and again from 1946–1996. It was last created for the introduction of the MMP voting system for the 1996 election. The current MP is Reuben Davidson, a member of the New Zealand Labour Party who was first elected in the 2023 New Zealand general election.

## Population centres

The electorate is based on the eastern part of the City of Christchurch. When the electorate was first formed through the Representation Act 1870, the western boundary of the electorate was Colombo Street. Unlike today, the eastern boundary was away from the coast; rather, the Avon electorate covered the coastal regions.
The electorate is bounded in the east by the Pacific Ocean and in the north by the Waimakariri River. Since the 2008 election, the western and southern boundary followed Main North Road, Marshland Road, North Parade, Dudley Creek, the Avon River, Keyes Road and Pages Road, before cutting through the Bromley wastewater treatment plant to Cuthberts Road. The boundary then followed Cuthberts Road, Breezes Road and Bridge Street to the Avon River, before following the Avon through the Avon Heathcote Estuary and out to the Pacific Ocean.
The following suburbs, in alphabetical order, are at least partially located in the electorate: Aranui, Avondale, Bexley, Bottle Lake, Bridgend, Brooklands, Burwood, Chaneys, Dallington, Kainga, Marshland, New Brighton, North New Brighton, Ouruhia, Parklands, Queenspark, Shirley, South New Brighton, Southshore, Spencerville, Stewarts Gully, Styx, Waimairi Beach, and Wainoni.
Population loss after the quakes necessitated expansion of the electorate in the 2013/14 redistribution, with the electorate gaining Mairehau and Shirley from Christchurch Central, Bromley from Port Hills and the remainder of Marshland from Waimakariri. Slightly more of Bromley was added from Port Hills at the 2020 redistribution.

## History

Christchurch City East was first created for the 1871 election by the Representation Act 1870, which was passed to increase the number of general electorates to 74 from the 61 that were used at the 1866 election. The Representation Act 1870 also disestablished some multi-member electorates, and the three-member City of Christchurch electorate was split up, with one part of it forming the new Christchurch City East electorate.
The first election was contested by Jerningham Wakefield, who had previously represented Christchurch Country in the 1st Parliament (1853–1855), and Andrew Duncan, who was Mayor of Christchurch in 1870. Wakefield won the election and represented the electorate until the end of the electoral term in 1875, when Christchurch City East was abolished, replaced by the three-member electorate City of Christchurch.
Christchurch East was re-created for the 1905 election. The election was contested by Thomas Davey (who had been a representative of the City of Christchurch electorate for the Liberal Party since 1902), William Whitehouse Collins (who had previously been in Parliament for the Liberal Party), Henry Toogood (a young engineer who only recently left Canterbury College and who would become one of the founding members of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand), and Frederick Cooke (a prominent member of the Socialist Party). Davey was successful.
The 1908 election was contested by Davey (the incumbent), Charles Boxshall (who represented the opposition, which at that point had not formed into a political party), James McCombs (who was an Independent Liberal, i.e. he was not part of a formal party), and Frederick Cooke (who had also contested the previous election standing for the Socialist Party). Davey was re-elected, with McCombs coming second. The Second Ballot Act 1908 provided for second or runoff ballots between the top two candidates where the top candidate did not get an absolute majority. As Davey had obtained 55.56% of the votes, a second ballot was not required in Christchurch East.
The 1911 election was contested by Davey (the incumbent), Henry Thacker (a prominent medical doctor standing as an Independent Liberal), Hiram Hunter (who stood for the original Labour Party), and Frederick Cooke (who had also contested the two previous election standing for the Socialist Party). The first ballot was won by Thacker, with Davey beating Hunter by only four votes for second place. A second ballot was required, as Thacker had achieved 32.68% of the votes in the first ballot, far short of an absolute majority. The second ballot was won by Davey with a majority of over 17% of the votes.
Davey planned to contest the 1914 election. The Liberal Government had by now been replaced by the Reform Government. At the opening meeting of his campaign, Davey refused to commit himself to a motion of no confidence against the government, which in turn resulted in the meeting refusing to give him a vote of confidence. A week later, he withdrew his nomination. This left three other candidates in the election: Henry Thacker (who had contested the previous election as an Independent Liberal, but with Davey's withdrawal contested as behalf of the Liberal Party), George Duncan Macfarlane (an auctioneer with no prior political experience who stood for the Reform Party), and Hiram Hunter (who this time contested for the Social Democratic Party, which was the successor to the original Labour Party). Thacker was successful and succeeded Davey.
The 1919 election was contested by Thacker (the incumbent, and since May of that year Mayor of Christchurch) and Hiram Hunter (who this time contested for the Labour Party, which had been founded in 1916). Thacker served for two terms until 1922 and was Mayor of Christchurch until 1923.
Thacker was defeated in the 1922 election by Tim Armstrong of the Labour Party. The third candidate was W R Devereux, a land agent who stood for the Reform Party.
Armstrong successfully contested the 1925 and 1928 elections against Denis Franklyn Dennehy; his challenger stood for the Liberal Party in 1925, and for its successor, the United Party, in 1928. Armstrong was challenged by George Frederick Allen of the United Party in 1931, but Armstrong remained successful. Allen was active in local affairs and was the headmaster of the Sumner District High School (1908–1933).
Armstrong was challenged in 1935 by S W Richardson, who was the official candidate for the United–Reform Coalition in 1935. In 1938, Armstrong was challenged by K I Armour of the National Party. Armstrong died in office on 8 November 1942 from heart disease.
Armstrong's death triggered the 1943 by-election, which was held on 6 February. The by-election was contested by five candidates, including representatives from the Labour Party, the Labour breakaway party Democratic Labour Party and the National Party. The election was won by the Labour candidate, Mabel Howard, and started her long parliamentary career, which included her becoming the first female cabinet minister in 1947. Howard was confirmed later in 1943 in the general election, where her majority increased substantially (by over 17 percentage points).
Christchurch East was abolished in 1946 and re-created in 1996 for the MMP-era. Larry Sutherland, who had previously represented Avon, won the 1996 election. Sutherland retired at the 1999 election and Lianne Dalziel was first elected. Dalziel had previously represented Christchurch Central (1990–1996) and spent the next three years as a list MP.
The Christchurch newspaper The Press reported on 20 April 2013 that Lianne Dalziel will challenge Bob Parker for the Christchurch mayoralty. Dalziel maintained that she was not yet committed to standing, and only formally confirmed on 19 June that she will contest the mayoralty. She confirmed that she will resign from Parliament, thus triggering a by-election in the Christchurch East electorate. Dalziel resigned before the official results were announced.
The by-election was since held on 30 November 2013 in the electorate. This was won by Labour's Poto Williams in a convincing victory despite the view that significant population changes since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake made the allegiance to Labour less certain. Williams held Christchurch East in the 2014 election against National's sitting list MP Jo Hayes.
Since Tim Armstrong's 1922 election win, the electorate (for as long as it has existed) has been held by Labour.

## Members of Parliament

Christchurch East has been represented by eight electorate MPs:
Key
Independent Liberal Labour National
| Election | Winner |
| 1871 election | Jerningham Wakefield |
| (Electorate abolished 1875–1905, see City of Christchurch) |||
| 1905 election | Thomas Davey |
| 1908 election | Thomas Davey |
| 1911 election | Thomas Davey |
| 1914 election | Henry Thacker |
| 1919 election | Henry Thacker |
| 1922 election | Tim Armstrong |
| 1925 election | Tim Armstrong |
| 1928 election | Tim Armstrong |
| 1931 election | Tim Armstrong |
| 1935 election | Tim Armstrong |
| 1938 election | Tim Armstrong |
| 1943 by-election | Mabel Howard |
| 1943 election | Mabel Howard |
| (Electorate abolished 1946–1996) |||
| 1996 election | Larry Sutherland |
| 1999 election | Lianne Dalziel |
| 2002 election | Lianne Dalziel |
| 2005 election | Lianne Dalziel |
| 2008 election | Lianne Dalziel |
| 2011 election | Lianne Dalziel |
| 2013 by-election | Poto Williams |
| 2014 election | Poto Williams |
| 2017 election | Poto Williams |
| 2020 election | Poto Williams |
| 2023 election | Reuben Davidson |

### List MPs

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Christchurch East electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs' terms began and ended at general elections.
| Election | Winner |
| 2008 election | Aaron Gilmore |
| 2011 election | Mojo Mathers |
| 2013 | Aaron Gilmore |
| 2014 election | Mojo Mathers |
| 2014 election | Jo Hayes |
| 2017 election | Jo Hayes |
| 2020 election | Toni Severin |

## Election results
### 2023 election

2023 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Reuben Davidson | Reuben Davidson | 15,163 | 39.07 | | 13,418 | 34.18 | -26.08 |
| | National | Matt Stock | Matt Stock | 12,766 | 32.89 | | 11,208 | 28.55 | +11.97 |
| | Green | Sahra Ahmed | Sahra Ahmed | 4,594 | 11.83 | | 5,675 | 14.45 | +5.99 |
| | NZ First | Shane Wiremu | Shane Wiremu | 2,030 | 5.23 | | 2,676 | 6.81 | +4.32 |
| | ACT | Toni Severin | Toni Severin | 1,679 | 4.32 | +0.96 | 2,786 | 7.09 | +0.93 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Paula Lambert | Paula Lambert | 901 | 2.32 | +0.21 | 223 | 0.56 | -0.07 |
| | New Conservative | Helen Houghton | Helen Houghton | 615 | 1.58 | -1.05 | 175 | 0.44 | -1.59 |
| | Animal Justice | Danette Wereta | Danette Wereta | 353 | 0.90 | | 223 | 0.56 | |
| | Independent | Sam Park | Sam Park | 234 | 0.60 | | | | |
| | Opportunities | | | | | | 1,339 | 3.41 | +1.98 |
| | Te Pāti Māori | | | | | | 415 | 1.05 | +0.70 |
| | NZ Loyal | | | | | | 402 | 1.02 | |
| | NewZeal | | | | | | 205 | 0.52 | +0.19 |
| | Leighton Baker Party | | | | | | 118 | 0.30 | |
| | Freedoms NZ | | | | | | 114 | 0.29 | |
| | DemocracyNZ | | | | | | 106 | 0.27 | |
| | Women's Rights | | | | | | 46 | 0.11 | |
| | New Nation | | | | | | 24 | 0.06 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 470 | | | 203 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 38,805 | | | 39,247 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 2,397 | 6.17 | | | | |

### 2020 election

2020 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Poto Williams | Y Poto Williams | 25,234 | 63.28 | +9.41 | 24,563 | 60.26 | +13.18 |
| | National | Lincoln Platt | Lincoln Platt | 7,898 | 19.81 | −12.20 | 6,760 | 16.58 | −18.76 |
| | Green | Nikki Berry | Nikki Berry | 2,720 | 6.82 | +0.92 | 3,447 | 8.46 | +1.74 |
| | ACT | Toni Severin | Toni Severin | 1,340 | 3.36 | +2.96 | 2,511 | 6.16 | +5.83 |
| | New Conservative | Helen Houghton | Helen Houghton | 1,050 | 2.63 | +1.92 | 827 | 2.03 | 1.58 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Paula Lambert | Paula Lambert | 843 | 2.11 | +0.51 | 256 | 0.63 | +0.32 |
| | Advance NZ | Glen McConnell | Glen McConnell | 395 | 0.99 | — | 357 | 0.88 | — |
| | Outdoors | Charlotte Staples | Charlotte Staples | 215 | 0.54 | — | 67 | 0.16 | +0.12 |
| | ONE | Paula Maree Eason | Paula Maree Eason | 183 | 0.46 | — | 135 | 0.33 | — |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 1,015 | 2.49 | -3.80 |
| | Opportunities | | | | | | 582 | 1.43 | -0.88 |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 141 | 0.35 | -3.47 |
| | Sustainable NZ | | | | | | 33 | 0.08 | — |
| | Vision NZ | | | | | | 32 | 0.08 | — |
| | Social Credit | | | | | | 33 | 0.05 | ±0.00 |
| | Heartland | | | | | | 8 | 0.02 | — |
| | TEA | | | | | | 6 | 0.01 | — |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 768 | | | 299 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 39,878 | | | 40,076 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,876 | 83.57 | +3.17 | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 17,336 | 43.47 | +21.61 | | | |

### 2017 election

2017 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Poto Williams | Y Poto Williams | 18,439 | 53.87 | +5.78 | 16,414 | 47.08 | +14.92 |
| | National | Jo Hayes | Jo Hayes | 10,959 | 32.01 | −3.21 | 12,319 | 35.34 | −4.45 |
| | Green | Cathy Sweet | Cathy Sweet | 2,018 | 5.90 | −4.23 | 2,343 | 6.72 | −5.94 |
| | NZ First | Melanie Mark-Shadbolt | Melanie Mark-Shadbolt | 1,529 | 4.47 | — | 2,194 | 6.29 | −3.16 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Paula Lambert | Paula Lambert | 547 | 1.60 | +0.16 | 108 | 0.31 | +0.74 |
| | Conservative | Chris Brosnan | Chris Brosnan | 242 | 0.71 | −3.31 | 156 | 0.45 | −2.81 |
| | ACT | Toni Severin | Toni Severin | 137 | 0.40 | — | 116 | 0.33 | ±0.00 |
| | Opportunities | | | | | | 807 | 2.31 | — |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 133 | 3.82 | +3.42 |
| | Ban 1080 | | | | | | 46 | 0.13 | +0.01 |
| | United Future | | | | | | 30 | 0.09 | −0.03 |
| | Democrats | | | | | | 19 | 0.05 | −0.01 |
| | Outdoors | | | | | | 15 | 0.04 | — |
| | People's Party | | | | | | 14 | 0.04 | — |
| | Internet | | | | | | 12 | 0.03 | −0.85 |
| | Mana Party | | | | | | 3 | 0.01 | −0.04 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 360 | | | 132 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 34,231 | | | 34,861 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,202 | 80.40 | +3.52 | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 7,480 | 21.86 | +8.99 | | | |

### 2014 election

2014 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Poto Williams | Y Poto Williams | 15,221 | 48.09 | -13.21 | 10,450 | 32.16 | +0.51 |
| | National | Jo Hayes | Jo Hayes | 11,148 | 35.22 | +9.16 | 12,928 | 39.79 | -6.31 |
| | Green | Mojo Mathers | Mojo Mathers | 3,206 | 10.13 | +3.18 | 4,113 | 12.66 | +0.98 |
| | Conservative | Leighton Baker | Leighton Baker | 1,271 | 4.02 | +0.42 | 1,058 | 3.26 | +1.11 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Robert Wilkinson | Robert Wilkinson | 457 | 1.44 | +1.01 | 186 | 0.57 | +0.07 |
| | Māori Party | Tania Mataki | Tania Mataki | 190 | 0.60 | +0.60 | 129 | 0.40 | +0.11 |
| | United Future | Sam Park | Sam Park | 159 | 0.50 | +0.50 | 74 | 0.23 | -0.33 |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 3,069 | 9.45 | +3.19 |
| | Internet Mana | | | | | | 286 | 0.88 | +0.66 |
| | ACT | | | | | | 107 | 0.33 | -0.02 |
| | Ban 1080 | | | | | | 38 | 0.12 | +0.12 |
| | Democrats | | | | | | 20 | 0.06 | -0.02 |
| | Civilian | | | | | | 19 | 0.06 | +0.06 |
| | Independent Coalition | | | | | | 11 | 0.03 | +0.03 |
| | Focus | | | | | | 1 | 0.00 | +0.00 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 409 | | | 141 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 31,652 | | | 32,489 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 4,073 | 12.87 | -6.17 | | | |

### 2013 by-election

The following table shows the final results of the by-election:
2013 Christchurch East by-election :
| Notes: Blue background denotes the winner of the by-election. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list prior to the by-election. Yellow background denotes the winner of the by-election, who was a list MP prior to the by-election. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. ||||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Poto Williams | 8,414 | 61.39 | +5.86 |
| | National | Matt Doocey | 3,577 | 26.10 | −10.40 |
| | Green | David Moorhouse | 954 | 6.96 | +2.15 |
| | Conservative | Leighton Baker | 494 | 3.60 | +1.74 |
| | Independent | Sam Park | 78 | 0.57 | +0.57 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Paula Lambert | 59 | 0.43 | −0.48 |
| | ACT | Gareth Veale | 58 | 0.42 | +0.42 |
| | Independent | Adam Holland | 31 | 0.23 | +0.23 |
| | Independent | Ian Gaskin | 20 | 0.15 | +0.15 |
| | Democrats | Jenner Lichtwark | 20 | 0.15 | +0.15 |
| Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | Total Valid votes | 13,705 | | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 21 | 0.15 | -1.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,726 | | |
| | Labour hold | Majority | 4,837 | 35.29 | +16.25 |

### 2011 election

2011 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Lianne Dalziel | Y Lianne Dalziel | 15,559 | 55.54 | +2.61 | 9,100 | 31.65 | -13.62 |
| | National | Aaron Gilmore | Aaron Gilmore | 10,225 | 36.50 | +0.55 | 13,252 | 46.10 | +10.40 |
| | Green | Mojo Mathers | Mojo Mathers | 1,347 | 4.81 | -0.62 | 3,359 | 11.68 | +4.45 |
| | Conservative | Leighton Baker | Leighton Baker | 522 | 1.86 | +1.86 | 617 | 2.15 | +2.15 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Michael Britnell | Michael Britnell | 254 | 0.91 | -0.32 | 145 | 0.50 | +0.16 |
| | United Future | Johnny Miller | Johnny Miller | 108 | 0.39 | -0.22 | 160 | 0.56 | -0.39 |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 1,801 | 6.26 | +2.34 |
| | ACT | | | | | | 101 | 0.35 | -1.58 |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 84 | 0.29 | -0.22 |
| | Mana | | | | | | 63 | 0.22 | +0.22 |
| | Alliance | | | | | | 28 | 0.10 | -0.08 |
| | Democrats | | | | | | 22 | 0.08 | +0.01 |
| | Libertarianz | | | | | | 17 | 0.06 | +0.02 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 509 | | | 228 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 28,015 | | | 28,977 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 5,334 | 19.04 | +2.06 | | | |
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 39,708

### 2008 election

2008 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Lianne Dalziel | Y Lianne Dalziel | 17,969 | 52.92 | | 15,585 | 45.27 | |
| | National | Aaron Gilmore | Aaron Gilmore | 12,204 | 35.94 | | 12,289 | 35.70 | |
| | Green | Mojo Mathers | Mojo Mathers | 1,843 | 5.43 | | 2,489 | 7.23 | |
| | Progressive | Elspeth Sandys | Elspeth Sandys | 575 | 1.69 | | 696 | 2.02 | |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Paula Lambert | Paula Lambert | 417 | 1.23 | | 117 | 0.34 | |
| | Kiwi | Tony Le Cren | Tony Le Cren | 378 | 1.11 | | 269 | 0.78 | |
| | United Future | Maretta Solomon | Maretta Solomon | 204 | 0.60 | | 326 | 0.95 | |
| | Alliance | Paul Piesse | Paul Piesse | 119 | 0.35 | | 62 | 0.18 | |
| | Independent | Sevaschan Sam Park | Sevaschan Sam Park | 114 | 0.34 | | | | |
| | Workers Party | Paul Hopkinson | Paul Hopkinson | 90 | 0.27 | | 26 | 0.08 | |
| | Democrats | Nick McIlraith | Nick McIlraith | 40 | 0.12 | | 24 | 0.07 | |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 1,352 | 3.93 | |
| | ACT | | | | | | 664 | 1.93 | |
| | Bill and Ben | | | | | | 210 | 0.61 | |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 176 | 0.51 | |
| | Family Party | | | | | | 68 | 0.20 | |
| | Pacific | | | | | | 54 | 0.16 | |
| | Libertarianz | | | | | | 14 | 0.04 | |
| | RAM | | | | | | 5 | 0.01 | |
| | RONZ | | | | | | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 267 | | | 202 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 33,953 | | | 34,427 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 5,765 | 16.98 | | | | |

### 2005 election

2005 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Lianne Dalziel | Y Lianne Dalziel | 20,969 | 60.31 | | 18,893 | 53.44 | |
| | National | David Round | David Round | 8,996 | 25.88 | | 9,851 | 27.86 | |
| | Green | Mary McCammon | Mary McCammon | 1,698 | 4.88 | | 1,948 | 5.51 | |
| | United Future | Dianne Wilson | Dianne Wilson | 1,205 | 3.47 | | 1,176 | 3.33 | |
| | Progressive | Karen Silcock | Karen Silcock | 926 | 2.66 | | 926 | 2.62 | |
| | ACT | John Peters | John Peters | 401 | 1.15 | | 277 | 0.78 | |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Kevin O'Connell | Kevin O'Connell | 299 | 0.86 | | 101 | 0.29 | |
| | Alliance | Lynda Boyd | Lynda Boyd | 167 | 0.48 | | 98 | 0.28 | |
| | Direct Democracy | Kyle Chapman | Kyle Chapman | 63 | 0.18 | | 13 | 0.04 | |
| | Anti-Capitalist Alliance | Paul Hopkinson | Paul Hopkinson | 43 | 0.12 | | | | |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 1,694 | 4.77 | |
| | Destiny | | | | | | 170 | 0.48 | |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 97 | 0.27 | |
| | Christian Heritage | | | | | | 54 | 0.15 | |
| | Democrats | | | | | | 18 | 0.05 | |
| | Libertarianz | | | | | | 13 | 0.04 | |
| | Family Rights | | | | | | 7 | 0.02 | |
| | 99 MP | | | | | | 6 | 0.02 | |
| | RONZ | | | | | | 6 | 0.02 | |
| | One NZ | | | | | | 5 | 0.01 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 424 | | | 186 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 34,787 | | | 35,353 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 11,973 | 34.44 | | | | |

### 2002 election

2002 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Y Lianne Dalziel | Y Lianne Dalziel | 19,784 | 63.92 | +7.12 | 16,142 | 51.29 | +4.46 |
| | National | Stephen Johnston | Stephen Johnston | 4,920 | 15.90 | | 4,368 | 13.88 | -10.39 |
| | Green | Mary McCammon | Mary McCammon | 1,557 | 5.03 | | 2,068 | 6.57 | +1.70 |
| | United Future | Paul Duxbury | Paul Duxbury | 1,532 | 4.95 | | 2,394 | 7.61 | |
| | ACT | John Peters | John Peters | 841 | 2.72 | | 1,212 | 3.85 | +0.35 |
| | Progressive | David Culverhouse | David Culverhouse | 834 | 2.69 | | 1,171 | 3.72 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Judith Phillips | Judith Phillips | 577 | 1.86 | -0.52 | 441 | 1.40 | -1.00 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Michael Britnell | Michael Britnell | 512 | 1.65 | -0.50 | 222 | 0.71 | -0.69 |
| | Alliance | Colin Pounder | Colin Pounder | 315 | 1.02 | | 466 | 1.48 | -9.90 |
| | ACAP | Philip Ferguson | Philip Ferguson | 79 | 0.26 | | | | |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 2,532 | 8.05 | +5.81 |
| | ORNZ | | | | | | 430 | 1.37 | |
| | One NZ | | | | | | 15 | 0.05 | |
| | Mana Māori | | | | | | 8 | 0.03 | +0.00 |
| | NMP | | | | | | 3 | 0.01 | +0.01 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 389 | | | 102 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 30,951 | | | 31,472 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 14,864 | 48.02 | +13.11 | | | |

### 1999 election

1999 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lianne Dalziel | Lianne Dalziel | 18,157 | 56.80 | | 15,084 | 46.83 | +10.38 |
| | National | John Knox | John Knox | 6,995 | 21.88 | | 7,816 | 24.26 | -2.21 |
| | Alliance | Paul Piesse | Paul Piesse | 2,127 | 6.65 | | 3,665 | 11.38 | -6.11 |
| | Green | Jacqui Wood | Jacqui Wood | 1,296 | 4.05 | | 1,568 | 4.87 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Judith Phillips | Judith Phillips | 761 | 2.38 | | 774 | 2.40 | |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Michael Britnell | Michael Britnell | 688 | 2.15 | | 449 | 1.39 | -0.54 |
| | Christian Democrats | Chantelle Stiles | Chantelle Stiles | 669 | 2.09 | | 456 | 1.42 | |
| | ACT | Alan Beecham | Alan Beecham | 667 | 2.09 | | 1,127 | 3.50 | 0.47 |
| | NZ First | Margaret Silverlock | Margaret Silverlock | 528 | 1.65 | | 719 | 2.23 | -6.52 |
| | Natural Law | Warwick Jones | Warwick Jones | 80 | 0.25 | | 58 | 0.18 | 0.06 |
| | United NZ | | | | | | 143 | 0.44 | +0.04 |
| | Libertarianz | | | | | | 131 | 0.41 | +0.40 |
| | South Island | | | | | | 73 | 0.23 | |
| | Animals First | | | | | | 71 | 0.22 | +0.04 |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | | | | | | 36 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| | One NZ | | | | | | 18 | 0.06 | |
| | Mana Māori | | | | | | 11 | 0.03 | +0.02 |
| | Mauri Pacific | | | | | | 5 | 0.02 | |
| | The People's Choice | | | | | | 4 | 0.01 | |
| | Republican | | | | | | 2 | 0.01 | |
| | Freedom Movement | | | | | | 1 | 0.00 | |
| | NMP | | | | | | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 513 | | | 269 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 31,968 | | | 32,212 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Majority | 11,162 | 34.92 | | | | |

### 1996 election

1996 general election: Christchurch East :
| Notes: | Notes: | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. | Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. A Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively. |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Larry Sutherland | Larry Sutherland | 11,174 | 35.17 | | 11,675 | 36.44 | |
| | National | Sue McKenzie | Sue McKenzie | 8,216 | 25.86 | | 8,480 | 26.47 | |
| | Alliance | Marie Venning | Marie Venning | 7,305 | 22.99 | | 5,601 | 17.48 | |
| | NZ First | Lem Pearse | Lem Pearse | 2,970 | 9.35 | | 2,805 | 8.76 | |
| | Legalise Cannabis | Tim Shadbolt | Tim Shadbolt | 1,368 | 4.31 | | 618 | 1.93 | |
| | ACT | Jeffrey Buchanan | Jeffrey Buchanan | 569 | 1.79 | | 971 | 3.03 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Phil Clayton | Phil Clayton | 105 | 0.33 | | 51 | 0.16 | |
| | Natural Law | Sean O'Connor | Sean O'Connor | 61 | 0.19 | | 38 | 0.12 | |
| | Christian Coalition | | | | | | 1,494 | 4.66 | |
| | United NZ | | | | | | 128 | 0.40 | |
| | Animals First | | | | | | 59 | 0.18 | |
| | Progressive Green | | | | | | 48 | 0.15 | |
| | Green Society | | | | | | 17 | 0.05 | |
| | Advance New Zealand | | | | | | 14 | 0.04 | |
| | Superannuitants & Youth | | | | | | 13 | 0.04 | |
| | Ethnic Minority Party | | | | | | 8 | 0.02 | |
| | Asia Pacific United | | | | | | 4 | 0.01 | |
| | Mana Māori | | | | | | 4 | 0.01 | |
| | Conservatives | | | | | | 3 | 0.01 | |
| | Libertarianz | | | | | | 3 | 0.01 | |
| | Te Tawharau | | | | | | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 360 | | | 93 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 31,768 | | | 32,035 | | |
| | Labour win new seat | Labour win new seat | Majority | 2,958 | 9.31 | | | | |

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mabel Howard | 8,911 | 64.39 | +17.11 |
| | National | Reginald Gilbert Brown | 3,374 | 24.38 | −0.21 |
| | Democratic Labour | Herman Theodore Schou | 1,277 | 9.23 | −17.50 |
| | Real Democracy | Fred Whiley | 278 | 2.01 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 213 | 1.52 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,537 | 40.01 | −11.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,053 | 87.77 | +22.76 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,835 | | |

### 1943 by-election

1943 Christchurch East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mabel Howard | 4,559 | 47.27 | −28.47 |
| | Democratic Labour | Horace Herring | 2,578 | 26.73 | |
| | National | Melville Lyons | 2,371 | 24.59 | +0.33 |
| | Independent | Lincoln Efford | 114 | 1.18 | |
| | Independent | Owen McKee | 22 | 0.23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,981 | 20.54 | −30.95 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,835 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,644 | 65.01 | −26.42 |

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tim Armstrong | 10,561 | 75.74 | +2.25 |
| | National | Ken Armour | 3,382 | 24.26 | +1.49 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 73 | 0.52 | −0.61 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,179 | 51.49 | +0.76 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,016 | 91.43 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,330 | | |

### 1935 election

1935 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tim Armstrong | 8,299 | 73.49 | +9.16 |
| | United/Reform | Sydney Richardson | 2,571 | 22.77 | −12.90 |
| | Independent | Berthold Ahlfeld | 422 | 3.74 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 129 | 1.13 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,728 | 50.73 | +22.07 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,420 | 80.75 | −7.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,666 | | |

### 1931 election

1931 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tim Armstrong | 7,196 | 64.33 | +3.93 |
| | United | George Frederick Allen | 3,990 | 35.67 | −3.93 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 488 | 4.30 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,206 | 28.66 | +7.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,420 | 80.75 | −7.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,666 | | |

### 1928 election

1928 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tim Armstrong | 6,564 | 60.40 | −2.64 |
| | United | Denis Franklyn Dennehy | 4,304 | 39.60 | +2.64 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 488 | 4.30 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,260 | 20.79 | −5.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,356 | 84.93 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,371 | | |

### 1925 election

1925 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tim Armstrong | 6,902 | 63.04 | +15.83 |
| | Liberal | Denis Franklyn Dennehy | 4,047 | 36.96 | +1.57 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 216 | 2.29 | +1.39 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,855 | 26.08 | +5.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,420 | 80.75 | −7.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,666 | | |

### 1922 election

1922 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tim Armstrong | 4,535 | 47.21 | +7.75 |
| | Liberal | Henry Thacker | 3,400 | 35.39 | −25.14 |
| | Reform | William Russell Devereux | 1,671 | 17.40 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 216 | 2.29 | +1.39 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,135 | 11.82 | −9.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,420 | 80.75 | −7.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,666 | | |

### 1919 election

1919 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Thacker | 5,572 | 60.54 | +7.01 |
| | Labour | Hiram Hunter | 3,632 | 39.46 | +10.65 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 216 | 2.29 | +1.39 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,940 | 21.08 | −3.64 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,420 | 80.75 | −7.47 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,666 | | |

### 1914 election

1914 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Thacker | 4,093 | 53.53 | +20.85 |
| | Social Democrat | Hiram Hunter | 2,203 | 28.81 | −2.08 |
| | Reform | George Duncan Macfarlane | 1,350 | 17.66 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 70 | 0.91 | −0.43 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,890 | 24.72 | +22.99 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,716 | 88.21 | 3.79 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,747 | | |

### 1911 election

1911 general election: Christchurch East, first ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Liberal | Henry Thacker | 2,492 | 32.68 | |
| | Liberal | Thomas Davey | 2,360 | 30.95 | −24.61 |
| | Labour | Hiram Hunter | 2,356 | 30.89 | |
| | Socialist | Frederick Cooke | 418 | 5.48 | −2.57 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 103 | 1.33 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 132 | 1.73 | −24.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,729 | 84.42 | −0.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,155 | | |
1911 general election: Christchurch East, second ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Davey | 4,042 | 58.55 | −24.61 |
| | Independent Liberal | Henry Thacker | 2,861 | 41.45 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 33 | 0.48 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,181 | 17.11 | −24.87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,936 | 75.76 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,155 | | |

### 1908 election

1908 general election: Christchurch East, first ballot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Davey | 3,479 | 55.56 | +13.94 |
| | Liberal–Labour | James McCombs | 1,813 | 28.95 | |
| | Socialist | Frederick Cooke | 504 | 8.05 | +6.61 |
| | Conservative | Charles Boxshall | 466 | 7.44 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 124 | 1.93 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,666 | 26.60 | +17.65 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,262 | 84.31 | −0.35 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,427 | | |

### 1905 election

1905 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Thomas Davey | 2,625 | 41.61 |
| | New Liberal | Henry Toogood | 2,060 | 32.66 |
| | Liberal | William Whitehouse Collins | 1,532 | 24.29 |
| | Socialist | Frederick Cooke | 91 | 1.44 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 124 | 1.93 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 565 | 8.96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,432 | 84.66 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,597 | |

### 1871 election

1871 general election: Christchurch East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Jerningham Wakefield | 169 | 52.32 |
| | Independent | Andrew Duncan | 154 | 47.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15 | 4.64 |

## Table footnotes

* ↑ Gilmore entered Parliament on 19 February 2013, following the resignation of Lockwood Smith. He resigned from Parliament on 27 May 2013.