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Labour's Northcote candidate says personality rather than party will be key to Saturday's by-election.
Shanan Halbert and National's Dan Bidois are in a tight race for the seat vacated by former health minister Jonathan Coleman, which was considered safe National.
Mr Halbert says to counter that over the past month his team has had 16,000 conversations on the phone or on the doorstep with Northcote voters, and a flood of MPs and ministers have crossed the bridge to support his campaign.
He says by-elections are different to general elections.
"Northcote voters are genuinely looking for the best person that represents them versus the hardcore party campaigns that we experience in the general election, and that's where I've closed the gap in this by-election. People know that I live here, I've lived here a long time, and that's the difference with my opposition. I'm really proud of our community and I love living in Northcote," he says.
Shanan Halbert was endorsed last night by author and Birkenhead resident Alan Duff, who admitted at a campaign event that he was switching his vote from National.
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