Labour's Stuart Nash is almost certain to retain his Napier seat with 90.7 per cent of the vote counted tonight.
Mr Nash had secured 18,332 votes - 4,474 ahead of his National Party opponent David Elliott's 13,858.
A happy Mr Nash said he was looking forward to "celebrating with a drink" with his Labour colleagues in Wellington.
Earlier in the evening, National's first-time candidate David Elliott said "you never lose hope".
"We have a healthy lead in the party vote, so I am feeling pretty good there," he said.
The split voting meant a key message had fallen on deaf ears.
"They had the opportunity to get two MPs to work for them and I hoped they would recognise that, but that's the way it goes."
Being National's Napier candidate has been invigorating and exhausting.
"It has been amazing to meet so many different people and learn their stories," Mr Elliott said.
"Whichever way it goes life goes on, tomorrow the sun comes up and I have a list of chores to do around the house which is longer than Winston's bottom lines list, so I'll crack on with those.
"Life goes on - nothing's changed."