A lot of interest is expected in the by-election to fill the seat left empty by the death of Takutai Tarsh Kemp. 

The 50-year-old Te Pāti Māori MP died yesterday. 

Otago University law expert Andrew Geddis told Mike Hosking the Tamaki Makaurau seat was won by just 42 votes in 2023 and will be very tightly contested again. 

The complicating factor this time is likely to be sympathy, he says, suspecting that Te Pāti Māori will likely run strongly on a kind of legacy argument.  

The by-election could clash with local body elections. 

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