Mariameno Kapa-Kingi

After several decades in iwi social and health services, she first stood for parliament in the 2020 general election. Her electoral success in 2023 led to the retirement of her predecessor, Kelvin Davis, who had been Labour Party deputy leader since 2017.

Kapa-Kingi is of the Te Aupōuri and Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa iwi. She was born and grew up in Te Tai Tokerau. She worked in iwi health and social services for more than thirty years. She helped develop health provider Te Kohao in Hamilton, and worked in suicide prevention and homelessness services. Before entering Parliament, Kapa-Kingi was a project specialist for Te Rūnanga o Whaingaroa, Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri Trust, the post-settlement governance entity for her iwi, and was involved in the iwi response to COVID-19 in the Far North. She said it was her involvement in the community response to COVID-19 that inspired her to enter politics.

On 17 May 2020, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi was selected as the Māori Party candidate for Te Tai Tokerau in the 2020 election. She came second to Labour's Kelvin Davis, who won with a margin of more than 8000 votes. Davis had been Labour Party deputy leader since 2017.

Kapa-Kingi was selected again in 2023. The incumbent, Davis, had after the 2020 election become minister for children, and over several controversies, he faced strong criticism by the Māori Party. Kapa-Kingi advocated strongly for children, thus exploiting Davis' political vulnerability. Based on preliminary results published on election might, Davis had held the seat with 487 votes ahead of Kapa-Kingi. When final results were published on 3 November, the lead had been reversed and Kapa-Kingi was elected as the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, beating the incumbent by 517 votes. Davis was re-elected via Labour's party list, but in mid-December 2023 he announced his retirement from politics effective Waitangi Day 2024.

By mid-December 2023, Kapa-Kingi had become Te Pāti Māori's whip and joined Parliament's business select committee. She also became the party's housing, Oranga Tamariki, children, infrastructure, building and construction, transport, regional development, rural communities, local defence, civil government and small businesses spokesperson.

Kapa-Kingi has triplet sons and a daughter. Her son, Eru Kapa-Kingi, was ranked two places lower than her on the Te Pati Maori party list in the 2023 election.