"It's five minutes of disappointment and on with life."
"It took me three goes to get on there in the first place, and I never take it personally. I have been privileged to serve 11 years, and it's not as if I don't have other work to do."
She said she was a great believer in "what will be will be".
"My Whānau Ora work is important to me."
She said she wasn't surprised by the results, as there had been a sense of dissatisfaction in the community.
"There are some people who have been elected whose views I don't support, and that could have made for a working relationship that might not have been the best," Raukawa-Tait said.
New deputy mayor Sandra Kai Fong was the highest polling candidate with 6985 votes, while Fisher Wang got 6864. Newly-elected mayor Tania Tapsell got 6254 votes.
Apart from Kai Fong, Wang and Tapsell, it's been a clean sweep with newcomers Gregg Brown (5732), Robert Lee (4754), Don Paterson (4405) and O'Brien (4339).
Outgoing councillors Reynold Macpherson and Raj Kumar stood only for the mayoralty, meaning both are off the council this term.
Mercia Yates also missed out this term with 2895 votes.
Yates said she was "disappointed" about the result, but it was "clear" she had not been elected.
She said she could not "comment at the moment".
Now the country's longest-serving councillor, Trevor Maxwell (1542) has been elected as a councillor for the newly-formed Rotorua Lakes Council Māori ward, along with Lani Kereopa (1776) and Rawiri Waru (1446).
Karen Barker (1315) has beaten Rotorua Rural Community Board chairwoman Shirley Trumper (698) to become councillor for the new Rotorua Rural Ward.
Progress results
Mayoralty - Votes received
Tapsell, Tania - 6254
Tabuteau, Fletcher - 3392
Sandford, Ben - 3269
Macpherson, Reynold - 3053
Kumar, Raj - 3018
Sears, Rania - 316
Ananda, Kalaadevi - 239
Informal - 29
Blank voting papers - 171
Rotorua General Ward (6 vacancies) - Votes received
Kai Fong, Sandra - 6985
Wang, Fisher - 6864
Brown, Gregg - 5732
Lee, Robert - 4754
Paterson, Don - 4405
O'Brien, Conan - 4339
Raukawa-Tait, Merepeka - 4074
Gray, Ryan - 3936
Davis, Brendan - 3727
Hosking, Trish - 3671
Pinder, Steve - 3412
Chater, Nick - 3410
Chetty, John - 2973
Yates, Mercia - 2895
Sparke, Kaya - 2596
Te Kowhai, Rawiri - 2555
Tuakana-Jones, Grace - 2065
Black, Kariana - 2004
Sear, Rania - 1668
Informal - 37
Blank voting papers - 182
Rotorua Māori Ward (3 vacancies) - Votes received
Kereopa, Lani - 1776
Maxwell, Trevor Horowaewae - 1542
Waru, Rawiri - 1446
Biasiny-Tule, Potaua - 1299
Tapiata, Hana - 1271
Hataraka, William - 413
Informal - 1
Blank voting papers - 164
Rotorua Rural Ward (1 vacancy) - Votes received
Barker, Karen - 1315
Trumper, Shirley - 698
Blank voting papers - 73
The voter return was 42.61 per cent, being 21,020 votes, excluding votes in transit to the processing centre and special votes.
