Mooney wins Southland (Queenstown)
National MP Joseph Mooney has easily won the Southland constituency, which includes Queenstown.
Mooney extended his majority with a landslide victory, taking 19,981 of the 33,046 votes, a whopping 60%. His closest challenger was Labour's Simon McCallum, on 5,008.
Green Party candidate Dave Kennedy was third with 2,875, while Act's Todd Stephenson was fourth with 2,312.
National also won the party vote for Southland with 16,204 votes, 49%, as a blue wave swept across the country. That's a swing from 2020, when it was won by Labour in Southland.
Mooney, who was National's spokesperson for Tourism, Forestry, Space and TOW Negotiation while in opposition, will serve a second term as MP, after first being elected in 2020, having replaced Hamish Walker as candidate.
The 44-year-old former lawyer celebrated with friends, family and National Party supporters at Joe's Garage in Five Mile, Frankton, last night.
"It’s a real privilege and honour to be entrusted again with representing this great electorate and its awesome people," he says on social media.
"Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. Looking forward to the work ahead."
SOUTHLAND
Candidates
RESULT - National Held
MOONEY, Joseph National - 19,981
McCALLUM, Simon Labour - 5,008
KENNEDY, Dave Greens - 2,875
STEPHENSON, Todd ACT - 2,312
EVANS, Logan NZ Loyal - 1,804
GRUMBALL, Anntwinette Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis - 500
MACLEAN, Naomi Freedoms NZ - 190
Party
National Party - 16204
Labour Party - 5510
ACT New Zealand - 4624
Green Party - 2538
New Zealand First Party - 1926
New Zealand Loyal - 779
The Opportunities Party (TOP) - 595
NewZeal - 192
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party- 151
Te Pāti Māori - 117
Freedoms NZ - 72
DemocracyNZ - 49
Animal Justice Party - 47
New Nation Party - 33
New Conservatives - 24
Women’s Rights Party - 22
Leighton Baker Party - 12
