[1] The electorate includes Tauranga, Mt Maunganui and Omanu Beach, but excluding Hairini, Maungatapu, Matapihi and Welcome Bay.

Four candidates were nominated: George Morris, who had previously represented the East Coast electorate; George Vesey Stewart, then the owner of the Bay of Plenty Times; William Kelly, who had also previously represented the East Coast electorate; and Henry Thomas Rowe, a surveyor and commission agent.

[6] Stewart stood for the Tauranga mayoralty a few months later and was elected the town's first mayor.

[7] Morris was re-elected in the 1884 election, but resigned in April 1885, as he had been appointed to the Legislative Council.

[9] The second 1885 by-election on 11 July was won by Lawrence Grace, who represented the electorate until the end of the term in 1887.

[12] The resulting 1923 by-election was won by Charles Macmillan, who also represented the Reform Party.

The 1984 election was won by Winston Peters, who had previously represented the Hunua electorate.

In late 1992, when the National Party was considering possible candidates for the elections in the following year, it was decided that Peters would not be allowed to seek renomination for the Tauranga electorate.

Peters unsuccessfully challenged this decision in the High Court, and in early 1993, he chose to resign from the party and from Parliament.

Peters stood as an independent and won with over 90% of the vote, assisted by the major parties not standing candidates against him.

[17] Shortly before the 1993 election, Peters established New Zealand First and retained the Tauranga electorate.

He continued to represent Tauranga until he was defeated in the 2005 election by National's Bob Clarkson.

[18] Clarkson's defeat of Winston Peters was significant, as this resulted in New Zealand First losing its only electorate seat.

He was succeeded by National's Simon Bridges, who won the 2008 election, with Peters coming a distant second.

[20] Key Independent Conservative Reform Labour National NZ First United Future Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Tauranga electorate.

Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.

Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list prior to the by-election.

Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.