# Upper Harbour (New Zealand electorate)

Upper Harbour is a parliamentary electorate in Auckland that returns one member to the New Zealand House of Representatives. It was first formed for the 2014 election. The seat was won by National's Paula Bennett in both the 2014 and 2017 election. The seat was then held by Labour's Vanushi Walters in the 2020 election. The seat is currently held by National's Cameron Brewer since the 2023 general election.

## Geography

Upper Harbour covers the northwestern reaches of Waitematā Harbour. It stretches from Massey, in West Auckland, through West Harbour and Hobsonville, and across to Greenhithe and on to Glenfield and Unsworth Heights on the North Shore.

## History

Upper Harbour was proposed in the 2013/14 electorate boundary review and confirmed by the Electoral Commission on 17 April 2014. The 2013 census showed that the Auckland region had seen faster population growth than other areas, so needed an extra electorate to keep all electorates within five percent of their quota. To achieve this, the Electoral Commission abolished Waitakere and established two new electorates, Upper Harbour and Kelston. A small portion of the electorate around Tihema Stream was moved to the new electorate of Kaipara ki Mahurangi in the 2020 redistribution.
When the draft changes to electorate boundaries were first announced, the incumbent of the Waitakere electorate, Paula Bennett, was quick to announce that she would stand in Upper Harbour instead. This was to prevent Colin Craig of the Conservative Party making a claim for the electorate, as at the time, there was speculation whether the National Party would make a deal with the Conservatives for a safe seat in line with the agreement with ACT New Zealand in the Epsom electorate. Bennett won the 2014 election with a majority of nearly 10,000 votes over Labour's Hermann Retzlaff.
At the 2020 election Bennett retired and Labour's Vanushi Walters won the seat against National’s Jake Bezzant. This was one of fifteen electorates that Labour took from National in an election that dramatically changed the composition of New Zealand’s parliament.

## Members of Parliament

Unless otherwise stated, all MPs' terms began and ended at general elections.
Key  National  Labour
| Election | Winner |
| 2014 election | Paula Bennett |
| 2017 election | Paula Bennett |
| 2020 election | Vanushi Walters |
| 2023 election | Cameron Brewer |

### List MPs

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Upper Harbour electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs' terms began and ended at general elections.
Key  ACT
| Election | Winner | Winner |
| 2020 election | | Karen Chhour |
| 2023 election | | Karen Chhour |

## Election results
### 2023 election

2023 general election: Upper Harbour :
| 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 | % | ±% |
| | National | Cameron Brewer | Cameron Brewer | 21,498 | 52.73 | +15.03 | 20,689 | 49.94 | +18.77 |
| | Labour | N Vanushi Walters | N Vanushi Walters | 10,306 | 25.28 | –18.36 | 9,314 | 22.48 | –25.49 |
| | Green | Thea Doyle | Thea Doyle | 3,018 | 7.40 | +1.23 | 4,872 | 9.34 | +4.05 |
| | ACT | Karen Chhour | Karen Chhour | 2,313 | 5.67 | +1.42 | 3,483 | 8.40 | 0.86 |
| | NZ First | David Wilson | David Wilson | 1,330 | 3.26 | – | 1,671 | 4.03 | +2.07 |
| | Opportunities | Shai Navot | Shai Navot | 1,109 | 2.72 | – | 884 | 2.13 | +0.76 |
| | NZ Loyal | Chris Newman | Chris Newman | 387 | 0.94 | – | 275 | 0.66 | – |
| | Vision NZ | Bernadette Soares | Bernadette Soares | 137 | 0.33 | – | | | |
| | Sovereignty | Tony Corbett | Tony Corbett | 83 | 0.20 | – | | | |
| | Te Pāti Māori | | | | | | 328 | 0.79 | +0.44 |
| | NewZeal | | | | | | 207 | 0.49 | +0.30 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | | | | | | 141 | 0.34 | –0.04 |
| | New Conservatives | | | | | | 93 | 0.22 | –1.62 |
| | Freedoms NZ | | | | | | 92 | 0.22 | – |
| | Animal Justice | | | | | | 48 | 0.11 | – |
| | DemocracyNZ | | | | | | 33 | 0.07 | – |
| | Women's Rights | | | | | | 31 | 0.07 | – |
| | Leighton Baker Party | | | | | | 12 | 0.02 | – |
| | New Nation | | | | | | 4 | 0.00 | – |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 586 | | | 248 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 40,767 | | | 41,425 | | |
| | National gain from Labour | National gain from Labour | Majority | 11,192 | 27.45 | +21.51 | | | |

### 2020 election

2020 general election: Upper Harbour :
| 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 | Vanushi Walters | Vanushi Walters | 17,573 | 43.64 | +14.89 | 19,507 | 47.97 | +15.66 |
| | National | Jake Bezzant | Jake Bezzant | 15,181 | 37.70 | -17.73 | 12,675 | 31.17 | -22.86 |
| | Green | Ryan Nicholls | Ryan Nicholls | 2,488 | 6.17 | -1.33 | 2,151 | 5.29 | +1.22 |
| | ACT | Karen Chhour | Karen Chhour | 1,712 | 4.25 | +3.25 | 3,066 | 7.54 | +6.87 |
| | New Conservative | Bernadette Soares | Bernadette Soares | 1,265 | 3.14 | — | 752 | 1.84 | +1.45 |
| | TEA | Winson Tan | Winson Tan | 410 | 1.01 | — | 136 | 0.33 | — |
| | Advance NZ | Peter Vaughan | Peter Vaughan | 309 | 0.76 | — | 256 | 0.62 | — |
| | Outdoors | Catherine Giorza | Catherine Giorza | 157 | 0.38 | — | 22 | 0.05 | +0.02 |
| | Sustainable NZ | Dion Thomas | Dion Thomas | 127 | 0.31 | — | 46 | 0.11 | — |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 797 | 1.96 | -3.77 |
| | Opportunities | | | | | | 559 | 1.37 | -0.27 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | | | | | | 157 | 0.38 | +0.14 |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 144 | 0.35 | +0.04 |
| | ONE | | | | | | 81 | 0.19 | — |
| | Vision NZ | | | | | | 20 | 0.04 | — |
| | Social Credit | | | | | | 5 | 0.01 | -0.01 |
| | Heartland | | | | | | 5 | 0.01 | — |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,042 | | | 281 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 40,264 | | | 40,660 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 40,660 | | | | | |
| | Labour gain from National | Labour gain from National | Majority | 2,392 | 5.94 | -20.73 | | | |

### 2017 election

2017 general election: Upper Harbour :
| 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 | % | ±% |
| | National | Y Paula Bennett | Y Paula Bennett | 19,857 | 55.43 | -0.52 | 19,722 | 54.03 | -0.22 |
| | Labour | Jin An | Jin An | 10,301 | 28.75 | +2.41 | 11,793 | 32.31 | +8.95 |
| | Green | James Goodhue | James Goodhue | 2,688 | 7.5 | -0.5 | 1,484 | 4.07 | -2.9 |
| | NZ First | Jane Johnston | Jane Johnston | 2,192 | 6.12 | — | 2,092 | 5.73 | -1.18 |
| | ACT | Bruce Haycock | Bruce Haycock | 358 | 1 | -0.67 | 246 | 0.67 | -0.76 |
| | Opportunities | | | | | | 597 | 1.64 | — |
| | Conservative | | | | | | 144 | 0.39 | -4.43 |
| | Māori Party | | | | | | 112 | 0.31 | -0.44 |
| | Legalise Cannabis | | | | | | 88 | 0.24 | -0.14 |
| | People's Party | | | | | | 25 | 0.07 | — |
| | Mana | | | | | | 24 | 0.07 | -0.78 |
| | United Future | | | | | | 21 | 0.06 | -0.14 |
| | Internet | | | | | | 14 | 0.04 | -0.81 |
| | Outdoors | | | | | | 11 | 0.03 | — |
| | Ban 1080 | | | | | | 9 | 0.02 | -0.01 |
| | Democrats | | | | | | 6 | 0.02 | +0.01 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 429 | | | 114 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 35,825 | | | 36,502 | | |
| | National hold | National hold | Majority | 9,556 | 26.67 | -2.94 | | | |

### 2014 election

2014 general election: Upper Harbour :
| 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 | % | ±% |
| | National | Y Paula Bennett | Y Paula Bennett | 18,315 | 55.95 | — | 20,853 | 54.25 | — |
| | Labour | Hermann Retzlaff | Hermann Retzlaff | 8,623 | 26.34 | — | 4,965 | 23.36 | — |
| | Green | Nicholas Mayne | Nicholas Mayne | 2,619 | 8.00 | — | 2,329 | 6.97 | — |
| | Conservative | Callum Blair | Callum Blair | 1,839 | 5.61 | — | 1,613 | 4.82 | — |
| | ACT | Stephen Berry | Stephen Berry | 549 | 1.67 | — | 450 | 1.34 | — |
| | Māori Party | Hinurewa Te Hau | Hinurewa Te Hau | 246 | 0.75 | — | 119 | 0.35 | — |
| | Mana Party | Makelesi Ngata | Makelesi Ngata | 204 | 0.62 | — | | | |
| | NZ First | | | | | | 2,311 | 6.91 | — |
| | Internet Mana | | | | | | 432 | 0.85 | — |
| | Legalise Cannabis | | | | | | 129 | 0.38 | — |
| | United Future | | | | | | 69 | 0.20 | — |
| | Civilian | | | | | | 14 | 0.04 | — |
| | Ban 1080 | | | | | | 13 | 0.03 | — |
| | Independent Coalition | | | | | | 7 | 0.02 | — |
| | Focus | | | | | | 4 | 0.01 | — |
| | Democrats | | | | | | 4 | 0.01 | — |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 338 | | | 130 | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 32,733 | | | 33,403 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,420 | 73.42 | — | | | |
| | National win new seat | National win new seat | Majority | 9,692 | 29.61 | | | | |