10.30pm: National MP Simon Bridges has thanked his supporters who were gathered at Number One The Strand in his victory speech.
"With 80 per cent of Tauranga votes counted your help has delivered me about 17,500 votes. It's a fantastic privilege to again be the member of parliament for Tauranga for another three years," he said.
"An even more remarkable thing than that is in the party vote with the 80 per cent counted [in Tauranga] we're almost the same in the party vote which is much higher than last time so Tauranga has sent a very clear message that we want John Key prime minister after today."
9.45pm: National Party candidate Simon Bridges is saying his winning speech after claiming the Tauranga seat in the 2014 General Election.
Mr Bridges said he was "thrilled" with the outcome and thanked his supporters for getting him in for a third term.
9.25pm: 41.6 per cent of the vote has been counted and National Party candidate Simon Bridges is still well ahead.
Currently in the top three are:
Simon Bridges, National Party = 16036 Clayton Mitchell, NZ First = 4486 Rachel Jones, Labour Party = 4317
8.20pm: Tauranga's National Party candidate Simon Bridges has joined his party faithful as they settle in for the wait at Number 1 The Strand.
"It's always surprisingly nerve-raking. Elections are always interesting. It's like being in the twilight zone," he said.
The early results were promising but he was not ready to celebrate yet.
"Until you get those really bit centres counted it's very hard to tell."
National's Tauranga electorate vice chair Jennifer Glausiuss and her husband and electorate secretary Peter Glausiuss were taking the chance to dress up and celebrate after months of hard work.
TAURANGA: BRIDGES, Simon - National Party HESLOP, Nathaniel - Conservative JONES, Rachel - Labour Party KANE, Rusty - Independent LAMARE, Yvette - Independent McLEAN, Ian - Green Party MAXWELL, James - United Future MITCHELL, Clayton - New Zealand First Party OHIA-GATE, Verna - Maori Party O'NEILL, Michael - NZ Independent Coalition PEDERSEN, Stuart - ACT New Zealand
BAY OF PLENTY: CUNLIFFE, Deborah - Conservative DOLMAN, Raymond - New Zealand First Party HORAN, Brendan - NZ Independent Coalition LIVINGSTON, Tracy - Democrats for Social Credit MULLER, Todd - National Party RICKARD, Ben - United Future WILSON, Clare - Labour Party