Former educationalist Kelvin Davis will take up the helm of Te Tai Tokerau after ousting Hone Harawira.
He is no stranger to politics, but after losing twice to Harawira in past elections, he called it quits in 2011 until Shane Jones' departure saw him back on the list.
Kelvin Davis said, “The party needs to take heed of how Māori have come back and supported us and without the Māori vote we'd be really struggling."
"It's bad enough as it is, but our whānau got in behind the Māori MPs in the Māori Electorates and now we need to deliver for them.”
The new incumbent was questioned on whether key policies of his predecessor for the poor and disenfranchised are part of his focus.
Davis says, “I campaigned on my four priorities of education of the economy which will help the 'pani me te rawakore, te reo Māori' and eliminating sexual and domestic violence throughout NZ, and the issues that Hone raised I'm also progressing but just in a different way and I'm a different person.”
The election result sends Labour to the opposition benches of Parliament for yet another term with Labour's Māori Caucus to meet this Tuesday to discuss a wide range of issues at hand including their leadership.