Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson steps back from electorate race, running list only

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will not run an electorate race at this year’s election, a reversal from the last election where she ran a “two tick” campaign in Tāmaki Makaurau, the Maori electorate Māori electorate comprising Auckland.

Instead, Davidson will run list-only, like fellow co-leader James Shaw. The pair will spend their time running a nationwide party vote campaign.

In a Facebook post Davidson said she had decided to go list only to “focus on leading a strong Green Party campaign alongside James Shaw for the Party Vote all over Aotearoa New Zealand. It also means I can prioritise my ministerial work in violence prevention and kaupapa Māori responses to homelessness for the rest of the term”.

She paid tribute to Darleen Tana Hoff-Nielson, the party’s candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau.

The seat is currently held by Peeni Henare, but Te Pāti Māori made a strong play for it in 2020, when John Tamihere reduced Henare’s margin to less than 1000.

“2023 will be one of the most important elections we have had in Aotearoa for decades. Aotearoa will end the year with the most progressive, climate-focused Government we have ever had – a government with more Green MPs at the decision-making table – or a National-ACT government of climate inaction and delay,” Davidson said.

“I cannot think of a more important contribution I can make than fighting for the party vote all over Aotearoa to make sure that not only are we back in Parliament with more Green MPs but that we have a stronger hand to push the next government to go faster on climate action, address inequality, and protect nature.”

Davidson said she was “super stoked” to have Hoff-Nielson standing in the seat.

Greens co-leader Marama Davidson. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

“Darleen I mihi to you and your Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Nga Rauru, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa whānau, hapū and iwi for the privilege of us having you in this rohe. It will be my absolute honour to support your campaign on the ground as we affirm this election as being an opportunity to prioritise the wellbeing of generations to come,” she said.

The Green Party has historically struggled to win electorates, having won electorate races only twice in its history. In the past, most MPs did not bother to run two tick campaigns, instead prioritising the nationwide party vote.

However, the victory of Chlöe Swarbrick in Auckland Central appears to have unleashed a flood of enthusiasm for running more “two tick” electorate campaigns from the likes of Tamatha Paul in Wellington Central, Julie Ann Genter in Rongotai, and Ricardo Menéndez March in Mt Albert.

With four resource-intensive two tick campaigns running simultaneously there have been fears the party might not be focusing enough on the all-important party vote.