Tory Whanau’s political fall from grace

From self-rated 8/10 to embarrassing Māori ward defeat

You might remember when Tory Whanau confidently rated her performance as Wellington’s Mayor a 7 or 8 out of 10. It was so absurd that it turned into an instant meme across X, becoming the political equivalent of a bad punchline. For someone who thought she was near perfect, the voters in the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward clearly disagreed, handing her a brutal loss to Labour’s Matthew Reweti.

This result is humiliating for Whanau. She couldn’t even win one of the easiest seats available. It’s no surprise she didn’t risk running for Wellington Mayor again, she knew full well she’d be crushed by Andrew Little in a loss that would have been even more embarrassing.

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So, is this finally the end of the Tory Whanau grift? Probably not. Give it time and she will be lining herself up for some cushy ministerial role with the Greens, ready to lecture everyone else while doing nothing of substance.

Credit where it’s due though, at least she’s reportedly got help for her drinking problem. That’s a decent step, and I’ll admit it, I couldn’t do it - I can’t wait for a rum after work. Still, recovery or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Tory Whanau’s political career is now circling the leaky drainpipes of Wellington, and the voters made sure of it.