National candidate Sam Uffindell is ahead in opinion polls. Photo / Andrew Warner.
A new poll shows National's Tauranga candidate Sam Uffindell ahead in the race to replace Simon Bridges.
TV One's Q+A poll today showed Uffindell registering the support of 45 per cent of voters, ahead of Labour's Jan Tinetti at 35 per cent.
Act candidate Cameron Luxton was a distant third at 7 per cent.
More than 5000 people have already voted in Tauranga's byelection for a new MP.
Election day is not until Saturday but at least 5024 ordinary votes have already been cast.
The byelection is happening because incumbent MP and former National Party leader Bridges announced his resignation from Parliament in March.
Shortly after launching his campaign, Uffindell said he was aspirational for Tauranga and wanted it to remain one of the best places to live, work and raise a family.
"People in Tauranga are sick of sitting in traffic caused by poor roading infrastructure and are finding it harder to get ahead due to the cost-of-living crisis," he said last month.
Labour has described Tinetti, the Minister of Internal Affairs, as one of Labour's high-fliers.
The party said Tinetti had deep roots in the local community, having served as Principal of Tauranga's Merivale School for 11 years before entering Parliament in 2017.
Despite the poll placing, Luxton's leader David Seymour said Luxton was the clear winner of two recent televised debates for the Tauranga race.
"While the National candidate desperately defended his party's lack of action in the region for decades, and the Labour candidate talked up her party's fluffy-duck approach to crime, Cameron proposed common-sense, real solutions to Tauranga's problems," Seymour said.
Seymour said Luxton had clear convictions and genuine ambition for Tauranga.
He added: "It is for these reasons he stands out from the other candidates who are just parroting their party talking points."
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