# Horowhenua (New Zealand electorate)

Horowhenua was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1978 to 1996.

## Population centres

The 1977 electoral redistribution was the most overtly political since the Representation Commission had been established through an amendment to the Representation Act in 1886, initiated by Muldoon's National Government. As part of the 1976 census, a large number of people failed to fill out an electoral re-registration card, and census staff had not been given the authority to insist on the card being completed. This had little practical effect for people on the general roll, but it transferred Māori to the general roll if the card was not handed in. Together with a northward shift of New Zealand's population, this resulted in five new electorates having to be created in the upper part of the North Island. The electoral redistribution was very disruptive, and 22 electorates were abolished, while 27 electorates were newly created (including Horowhenua) or re-established. These changes came into effect for the 1978 election.
In the 1977 electoral redistribution, the Kapiti electorate moved south and the Manawatu electorate moved north. The Horowhenua electorate was established in between those electorates, covering the Horowhenua District, with the main towns Waikanae, Ōtaki, Shannon, and Foxton. In the 1983 electoral redistribution, Horowhenua's boundaries contracted and Shannon was lost to the Manawatu electorate. In the 1987 electoral redistribution, the Horowhenua electorate moved slightly north, and Waikanae was lost to Kapiti, whilst Shannon was regained.
The Horowhenua electorate was abolished for the 1996 election, the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation election. It was largely replaced by the Ōtaki electorate.

## History

The electorate was established for the 1978 election. The first member was Geoff Thompson of the National Party, who was the representative for two parliamentary terms. Thompson was defeated by Labour's Annette King at the 1984 election. King represented the Horowhenua electorate for two parliamentary terms before she was defeated by National's Hamish Hancock in the 1990 election. Hancock in turn was succeeded by Labour's Judy Keall after one parliamentary term in the 1993 election. When the Horowhenua electorate was abolished in 1996, Keall stood in the Otaki electorate, where she had a majority of under 1,000 votes.

### Members of Parliament

Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
Key
National  Labour
| Election | Winner |
| 1978 election | Geoff Thompson |
| 1981 election | Geoff Thompson |
| 1984 election | Annette King |
| 1987 election | Annette King |
| 1990 election | Hamish Hancock |
| 1993 election | Judy Keall |
| (Electorate abolished in 1996; see Otaki) |||

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: Horowhenua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Judy Keall | 8,387 | 41.84 | |
| | National | Hamish Hancock | 6,040 | 30.13 | −9.78 |
| | Alliance | Jill Bint | 2,517 | 12.55 | |
| | NZ First | Pam Richardson | 2,411 | 12.02 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Ron Hubbard | 636 | 3.17 | |
| | Natural Law | Grant Wilson | 54 | 0.26 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,347 | 11.70 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,045 | 86.15 | −1.03 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,267 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: Horowhenua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Hamish Hancock | 9,727 | 39.91 | |
| | Labour | Annette King | 9,103 | 37.35 | −14.10 |
| | Green | Mike Smith | 1,335 | 5.47 | |
| | NewLabour | Joe Pond | 659 | 2.70 | |
| | Social Credit | M Pownall | 256 | 1.05 | |
| | Democrats | Colin Whitmill | 166 | 0.68 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 624 | 2.56 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,246 | 87.18 | −3.26 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,370 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: Horowhenua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Annette King | 10,822 | 51.45 | +6.45 |
| | National | Geoff Thompson | 9,272 | 44.08 | +1.02 |
| | Democrats | W R Holden | 940 | 4.46 | +0.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,550 | 7.36 | −5.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,034 | 90.44 | −3.07 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,257 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: Horowhenua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Annette King | 10,401 | 45.00 | |
| | National | Geoff Thompson | 9,954 | 43.06 | −2.07 |
| | NZ Party | Graham Wiggins | 1,772 | 7.66 | |
| | Social Credit | W R Holden | 985 | 4.26 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 447 | 1.93 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,112 | 93.51 | +2.94 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,715 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: Horowhenua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Geoff Thompson | 9,825 | 45.13 | +2.27 |
| | Labour | David Page | 8,949 | 41.10 | |
| | Social Credit | Bobbie Smith | 2,830 | 13.00 | |
| | Values | Barbara Hager | 165 | 0.75 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 876 | 4.02 | −0.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,769 | 90.57 | +14.67 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,035 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Horowhenua :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National | Geoff Thompson | 8,956 | 42.86 |
| | Labour | Alan Charles Eyles | 8,212 | 39.30 |
| | Social Credit | Rachel Ann Blanchard | 3,231 | 15.46 |
| | Values | Rachel Moore | 346 | 1.65 |
| | Right to Life | Christopher John Bodley | 150 | 0.71 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 744 | 3.56 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,895 | 75.90 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 27,529 | |