Former New Plymouth District councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes has been confirmed as the Labour Party candidate for the New Plymouth electorate and is setting her sights on unseating National MP David MacLeod in the upcoming general election.
Clinton-Gohdes served as an at-large councillor for NPDC before missing out on re-election in the October 2025 local body elections.
A former lawyer and scientist, she's known around the region for her advocacy on environmental and social issues.
During her time on the council, she was a vocal opponent of seabed mining in South Taranaki. She successfully tabled a motion that saw NPDC oppose Trans-Tasman Resources' fast-track mining proposal.
She's also championed climate action, housing improvements and the retention of Māori wards.
Now she's looking to take that same energy to Parliament.
But first she will need to beat David Macleod, the incumbent New Plymouth MP with an extensive political and business background.
Before winning the seat for National in 2023, he spent 22 years on the Taranaki Regional Council, serving as chairman for 15 of those years.
Raised on a dairy farm in Manaia, MacLeod has deep roots in the region's rural and corporate sectors. He has held directorships with Port Taranaki, Fonterra, Parininihi ki Waitotara, and built his career running the electrical business Linepower.
The New Zealand general election is officially set for November 7th 2026, with the regulated period for election advertising to begin on August 7th 2026.
The New Plymouth electorate covers the city itself and stretches down the coast past Ōakura and around the rural fringes.
