Journalist and former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara is seeking the Te Pāti Māori candidacy in Auckland’s Tāmaki Makaurau electorate.

Kaipara is the first person to announce she wants to be the Te Pāti Māori candidate for the Auckland electorate. A byelection is being held after the death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

Kemp, 50, died last month after a battle with kidney disease.

Te Pāti Māori members will vote for those who have put themselves forward for the candidacy.

In a social media post, Kaipara called for support, saying: “vote for me to be the next Te Pāti Māori MP for Tāmaki Makaurau”.

“Tāmaki Makaurau is more than a city, it’s a heartbeat,” she said.

“A place where mana whenua and urban Māori rise together. Where our struggles are real but so is our strength. I see you, I hear you, I am you. We are the movement.”

Kaipara encouraged party members to attend a hui at Hoani Waititi Marae this Thursday to cast their votes.

The former Newshub Nation anchor made history in 2019 when she became the first woman with a moko kauae to host a mainstream news broadcast. Her 20 year career in broadcasting also includes stints at Whakaata Māori and TVNZ.

In 2023, Kaipara joined the New Zealand Olympic Committee as the organisation’s Pouwhiringa Māori Culture Lead, a role that saw Kaipara helping the committee in its Te Ao Māori journey.

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.