National’s Tom Rutherford is on his way to Parliament as the Bay of Plenty’s MP.

With 90.8 per cent of votes for the BOP electorate counted in tonight’s election, Tom has secured 19,084 votes. In second place is Labour’s Pare Taikato with 6,265 votes.

A total of 36,106 votes – or 90.8 per cent – have been counted for the BOP electorate with a margin of 12,819.

National is also leading in the electorate's party vote with 47.67 per cent. Labour has 17.58 per cent of the party vote for Bay of Plenty.

Earlier in the night, Tom told Sunlive he’s had a really positive campaign in the Bay of Plenty.

“I‘ve worked incredibly hard. I’ve knocked on more than 6000 doors. I’ve tried to meet as many people as I possibly can, and things are looking very positive.”

If elected for the Bay of Plenty electorate, Tom – aged 26 – is set to be one of the youngest MPs in Parliament.

How does he feel about this?

“Oh what a privilege. I think we need representatives in Parliament to ensure it’s a broad church. I’ve always said to people that my age is a strength – not a barrier – and I I’m there to represent everybody in the BOP community, irrespective of age or background or anything like that and people have really got in behind me and said: ‘Yes’ we want you to be our representative and to fight for us on our behalf.

“I’m a Bay of Plenty local, I’m born and raised here and lived here all my life and I have always said that to people.”

What would be the big things that he wants to achieve for the BOP electorate?

“The three big things I’ve always talked about are the cost of living, crime, and congestion.  Those are big issues we’ve got here locally in the Bay of Plenty.

“I’m going to be really focused and working hard in those spaces to ensure that it is affordable to live here in the Bay of Plenty, that we’ve got crime under control – currently we have three gang members for every police officer here in the Bay of Plenty region – and then congestion. It’s so hard for people to get around our city at the moment.

“In saying that we’ve got local issues – such as restoration of local democracy at the Tauranga City Council; and Pāpāmoa it’s a hugely growing suburb – the fastest growing in Tauranga and it needs the necessary healthcare facilities out there as well.”

With 90.8 per cent of votes for the Bay of Plenty electorate counted: