JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Election night joy as Labour s Jo Luxton, with husband Matt, and supporters celebrate her win in the Rangitata electorate.
A general election and a devastating fire dominated October’s headlines, writes Doug Sail in the 10th of our series looking back on the year that was. Jo Luxton was feeling ‘‘pretty damn good,’’ after winning the Rangitata electorate for Labour in a surprise general election result on October 17. Luxton, who lost to Andrew Falloon in 2017 by a massive 6331 votes, secured an election night total of 18,876 well ahead of National candidate Megan Hands who finished second with 15,392. Luxton, who had been a list MP since 2017, becomes the electorate’s first Labour MP since it was established in 2008. Hands became the National Party’s candidate after Falloon’s shock resignation in August. Jo Goodhew was Rangitata MP from 2008 to 2014, before Falloon was elected in 2017.