Mr Foulkes was always expected not to prevail over the only other contender for the role vacated by former co-leader James Shaw, Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick, but he would no doubt have liked to have managed a better showing.
Ms Swarbrick received 169 votes from party delegates, two votes were cast to reopen nominations for the position, and no votes at all were cast for Dunedin-based Mr Foulkes.
He said Ms Swarbrick had an "overwhelming mandate" to be the Green’s new co-leader.
"I have spoken to Chloe and given her my congratulations on being elected. Chloe will do an incredible job alongside Marama Davidson, and I would like to wish them both all the best in leading the party into the future," he said in a statement.
"I have enjoyed the debate with Chloe and the party members and would like to commend and thank the party staff for the efficient organisation of the election and the members for their engagement and respectful, intelligent, and thoughtful questions throughout this process."
He was at outside odds to win the election but the Greens have had a co-leader outside Parliament before, so it was possible he could have done the job despite not being an MP.
Winning had not been his goal — he had stood to ensure that there had been a contest for the co-leadership and a debate over the future of the Green Party.
At a press conference yesterday, Ms Swarbrick said she was equally as comfortable marching in the streets as she was in Parliament.
"Legacy politics is not working to serve people and the planet ... We can take world-leading climate action that also improves people’s lives.
"We can provide a guaranteed minimum income for all, we can protect our oceans, we can have functional public transport, we can invest properly in our public services and housing, education and health-care — if we have the political courage to implement the tax system to do so."
Ms Swarbrick, 29, joined the Greens in 2016. She entered Parliament in 2017 as a list MP, and was the youngest MP since 1975.
She scored a surprise victory in winning the Auckland Central seat for the Greens in the 2020 general election, and showed it was no fluke by retaining the seat with an increased majority, despite a nationwide swing to the right.
The Greens were a party that would speak for all voices in New Zealand, and she believed it could make changes for the better of all in New Zealand, sharing finite resources "justly and equitably" as well as protecting the environment.
"We know our environment is not an endless resource to keep drawing from — we know there is enough to go around."
— Additional reporting RNZ
