Te Pāti Māori candidate Meka Whaitiri. Photo: RNZ / Lauren Crimp
Te Pāti Māori candidate Meka Whaitiri says the election results so far show the party no longer needs another party to "speak on our behalf", with Te Pāti Māori leading in a number of electorates.
Te Pāti Māori was sitting on about 2.5 percent with 95 percent of the vote counted.
With votes still to be counted, the party was already over its final result of 33,632 votes in the 2020 general election.
Whaitiri was trailing behind Labour's Cushla Tangaere-Manuel in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate but was celebrating that she was part of an "amazing movement" that is Te Pāti Māori.
She jumped ship from Labour earlier this year, shocking the party with Carmel Sepuloni telling media she was disappointed by Whaitiri's decision.
Despite not winning in the votes this evening, Whaitiri said people in her electorate had still been "positive and uplifting".
The party was leading in a number of electorates, including Hauraki-Waikato.
Youngster Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke defeated Labour's Nanaia Mahuta, the foreign minister.
Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Photo: Supplied / Erica Sinclair
As of 9.40pm, the party's co-leader Rawiri Waititi was leading in Waiariki, while Tākuta Ferris was leading in Te Tai Tonga.
The party's other co-leader Debbie Ngawera-Packer was also leading in Te Tai Hauāuru.
Waititi turned up at his event at the Sudima Hotel in Rotorua just prior to 9pm with his supporters.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi arrives to greet supporters at the Sudima in Rotorua. Photo: RNZ / Ella Stewart
Speaking to RNZ, Waititi said he was blessed to be from a strong Māori electorate with whānau behind him.
He said the party's candidates had run an "exceptional campaign" and if Maipi-Clarke won her electorate, she would become the youngest MP the House had seen.
"She is the future of this movement," he said.
Waititi said he was proud of the effort all candidates had put in.
A priority for Te Pāti Māori was to have an "unapologetic" Māori voice in Parliament.
Speaking at Waipatu Marae, Whaitiri told the crowd: "This is a celebration of all our efforts. We've left no stone unturned, we've fought a really good campaign.
"I'm not worried about win or lose, it's our kaupapa, and our kaupapa is our people.
"There's no going back, irrespective of our result, we're going forward."
She said the campaign has been about "our mokopuna" so they can walk strongly and proudly in our land.
She said it was a Māori movement that transcends any individual - mana motuhake.