Labour's Dunedin South candidate Clare Curran admits she was nervous as the first votes were counted.
Soon after polling closed the newcomer, who replaced sitting MP David Benson-Pope as Labour's candidate, was only a few hundred votes ahead of National's Conway Powell in the traditional Labour stronghold.
However, by 9.15pm, with 60% of the votes counted, her lead was more than 4222 votes. She had 10,776 to Mr Powell's 6554.
"I'm feeling better now," she said.
