Dr Jessica Sneha Gray

Thank you to the many, many of you who voted for me, who believed in me, and who spoke my name with such pride and conviction.

We did not get in this time but that is all it is … this time.

This journey was never about power or position.

It was, and always will be, about place. About our whenua, our people, our identity, and the future we are shaping together.

I am a place doctor: my life’s work has always been to understand how people live, heal, and flourish within their environments.

Standing for our region was simply a continuation of that calling.

I did not realise how many lives I had touched, how many communities I had quietly influenced.

From the shadows I walked in, I never saw the thousands who were walking beside me.

Hearing from so many across the Māori electorate, those who said they would have voted for me, has moved me deeply.

Your support is not political. It is personal. It is whānau.

To those who say, “We didn’t know you yet”, that is fair.

In the politics of democracy, where talk rules the day, I have never chased the spotlight.

I have always served from the margins. But let me be clear:

■ I am not going anywhere yet.

■ I am here to work with my New Zealand family as we seek flourishing – for all our people, for our healing, for our future.

■ I will continue to work, to listen, to contribute, and to prepare. Because I will be back.

Our places deserve diverse voices grounded in understanding, integrity, and love.

I have learnt so much about our people (candidates and voters) their intentions, their strengths, their mana, their preferences, their biases, insecurities, flaws, their deep and undeniable beauty. And I believe this deeply:

Sometimes we must step out from our shadows if we truly want to make a difference.

This was not a loss. It was an introduction.

One day, I will stand again whether in governance, leadership, or alongside you in our communities.

Until then, if you ever need kōrero, guidance, or someone to walk alongside you – I am here.