Craig's crew failed to fire in city seats

Conservative Party leader Colin Craig. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Conservatives over 5% in 19 mostly rural electorates but crashed in urban regions

The Conservative Party passed the crucial 5 per cent threshold in 19 electorates, preliminary election results show.

The fledgling party failed to gain any seats because it won only 4.12 per cent of the provisional party vote. But it was the only party to increase its share of the vote in every seat it competed in.

Competing in all 67 general electorates, the party increased its vote more than any other party except New Zealand First.

It was most popular in rural areas and north of Auckland, in particular wealthy seats such as East Coast Bays and Upper Harbour. Its combined vote in rural seats was 5.2 per cent. The party also gained more than 6 per cent in six electorates, most of them in heartland New Zealand.

Its bid for election was damaged by its support in urban areas, where the party's vote was as low as 1.6 per cent.

Leader Colin Craig said the party performed best in electorates with high-profile candidates and well-organised door-knocking campaigns.

But although the party was successful in lobbying for the party vote, winning an electorate seat in 2017 still appeared unlikely. Its candidates only broke into the top four on a few occasions.

Mr Craig placed second in East Coast Bays, and Garth McVicar placed third in Napier, winning 20 per cent of the vote. Deputy leader Christine Rankin gained only 1400 votes in the battleground seat of Epsom.

Conservatives easily passed the 5 per cent threshold in Nelson, where the party nominated an 81-year-old candidate, John Green. Mr Craig believed this was the result of strong appearances at public meetings in the region.

Conservatives gained more of the party vote than their centre-right rival New Zealand First in only one seat - East Coast Bays, where New Zealand First did not put up a candidate.

As could be expected, Conservatives performed poorly in Maori seats, gaining less than 1 per cent of the party vote in all seven.