I have to admit that I thought Ms. Ardern was still leading the NZ polls. But it seems her party went from an easy win to a neck-and-neck race.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election

Usually, an incumbent should remain at the helm in this situation. A lot can happen between now and the next election.

But I have to wonder if there were some internal party forces at work here--and she just had enough hassle. We may never know.

I'm preparing a couple of articles about the difference between politics and governance. Our elected representatives need to spend less time on the former and more on the latter. Less burnout if we go that way.