The moment Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke became our youngest ever MP at 21

When Aotearoa’s youngest and newest MP thanked her rival on Saturday night, one word marked both the generational change that brought her there and the closeness of New Zealand politics.

As the reality of her win in a once strong Labour seat dawned on Te Pāti Māori candidate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, she thanked her political opponent “aunty” Nanaia Mahuta.

In an atmosphere of waiata, kai and warmth at the Te Pati Māori HQ where there was no shortage of ‘aunties’, the youngest MP in 170 years made clear to her supporters that, along with rival, Mahuta was also elder, trailblazer and example to wahine like her.

Maipi-Clarke thanked her for her hard work and service to the Hauraki-Waikato electorate.

“There could have been two of us, but she decided to come off that party list ... I want to be able to thank her for everything she has done.”

Twenty one year old Maipi-Clarke (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Atiawa and Ngāi Tahu) took the Hauraki-Waikato seat out from under Labour’s Nania Mahuta, with 8825 votes to Mahuta’s 7459 with 90% of the votes counted.

Mahuta, the longest-serving wahine Māori in Parliament, who had entered the chamber before Maipi-Clarke was even born, was running in the electorate only and relied on winning the seat to secure her spot in Parliament.

On Saturday night Mahuta had phoned Maipi-Clarke to concede, potentially marking the end of her career in politics.

Hauraki-Waikato is a Māori political stronghold with the Kiingitanga at its heart. Mahuta has held the seat since 2008, after entering the House in 1996.

CHRSITEL YARDLEY/STUFF Te Kaawaikura Ihe, 9 months old, enjoys the festivities at the Te Pati Māori Rangiriri base.

In Rangiriri, in the heart of the Tainui rohe where Mahuta’s father Sir Robert had negotiated the tribe’s Raupatu settlement with the Crown that had put it back on a path of self-determination and growing prosperity, It was a night of kai, waiata and warmth.

Maipi-Clarke and her whānau of supporters were in high spirits throughout most of Saturday evening. At some points eyes were firmly fixed on a TV screen as the results rolled in - often met with an array of applause.

Maipi-Clarke, who entered politics this year as a fresh face and voice, leapt ahead of her whanaunga (relative) and incumbent Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta by more than 1000 votes.

Upon hearing she had taken out the tūru, Maipi-Clarke was visibly overcome with emotion and held back tears as she thanked her supporters and whānau who had stood by her on the campaign trail.

“For me it was never about the seat it was making a table for everyone, and that’s through Te Pāti Māori … I still can’t believe it,” Maipi-Clarke said.

“There’s been some dark moments. There was a time where I said I wanted to tap out ... I really did go hard or go home ... I put everything into this, my whānau put everything into this.”

Throughout the evening the results were in Maipi-Clarke’s favour, a surprise for a Māori electorate held by a veteran politician such as Mahuta who comes to the table with a wide following in Māoridom.

Maipi-Clarke said the campaign had been a roller-coaster.

“I've gone to the deepest ends and I've had to watch myself swim or drown, and I just relied on my whānau and values to keep me grounded.

“My whānau have sacrificed a lot and I'm just happy with whatever comes of it.”