New Zealand PM Ardern Wins Re-Election In Best Showing For Labour Party In Decades

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, right, is congratulated by her partner Clarke Gayford following her victory speech to Labour Party members at an event in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.

Mark Baker / AP

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has won re-election in a landslide.

The win wasn’t surprising; Ardern’s leadership has helped New Zealand become one of the most successful countries in handling the coronavirus pandemic. Going into the election, polls showed Ardern’s Labour Party with a wide lead over the nearest competitor, the conservative National Party.

With most of the votes counted, Ardern’s liberal Labour Party has won 49%. It’s the best showing for the Labour party in at least 50 years. It’s also the highest result for any party since the country switched to a proportional representation system in 1996.