Tāmaki Makaurau is the most urbanised of the seven Māori electorates, covering the entirety of the Auckland isthmus and extending west to the Waitākere Ranges and south across the Manukau Harbour. It is a geographically compact but densely populated seat, home to the largest concentration of Māori in the country. The electorate is defined by its unique demographic mix of mana whenua (local tribes like Ngāti Whātua and Waiohua) and a vast mataawaka population: Māori from iwi across the motu who have moved to the city for work and lifestyle opportunities. Politically, the seat has become a flashpoint for the resurgence of Te Pāti Māori. For nearly a decade, it was a Labour stronghold held by Peeni Henare, but the 2023 general election delivered a shock result when political newcomer Takutai Tarsh Kemp (Te Pāti Māori) defeated Henare by just 42 votes. Following Kemp’s tragic passing in mid-2025, the seat was retained by Te Pāti Māori in a high-profile by-election won by broadcaster-turned-politician Oriini Kaipara, cementing the electorate as a key power base for the party. In the 2025 boundary review the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate’s boundaries were unchanged from the 2020 review.