![Ikaroa-Rāwhiti candidates Cushla Tangaere Manuel [left] and Meka Whaitiri. PHOTO/RNZ](https://dw35i5ezvh1dd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/mekaa.jpg "mekaa.jpg")
It’s anyone’s game in the Māori electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, with a third of enrolled voters still undecided.
The electorate spans from Gisborne through to Lower Hutt along the east coast of the North Island, including the entirety of Wairarapa.
An exclusive Whakaata Māori poll has revealed Labour newcomer Cushla Tangaere-Manuel has an eight-point lead over Te Pāti Māori’s Meka Whaitiri.
Vision NZ candidate Ata Tuhakaraina is yet to make the leaderboard.
However, 29 per cent of those polled were still undecided on which candidate they will choose when the poll was conducted on September 19.
The poll, conducted by Curia Market Research, was completed on Tuesday and puts Tangaere-Manuel at 33 per cent and Whaitiri on 25 per cent,
In 2020 Whaitiri won the seat with over 55 per cent of
votes as a Labour candidate.
The Whakaata Māori poll revealed Labour is still the preferred party at 33 per cent, ahead of Te Pāti Māori on 24 per cent, although Te Pāti Māori is gaining ground among younger voters, with 39 per cent support from those aged 18–39 compared to Labour’s 24 per cent.
Labour has held the electorate for its entire 24-year history.
