New Zealand elects conservative premier after 6 years of progressive rule

Conservative former businessman Christopher Luxon will be the next prime minister of New Zealand, according to reports Saturday of him decisively winning the election. 

The makeup of Luxon’s government is unknown at the moment due to ballots still being counted, according to The Associated Press.

For the last six years, New Zealand had been ruled by progressive leadership, led most of that time by Jacinda Ardern.

Ardern had stepped down as prime minister at the start of this year, saying that she didn't have “enough in the tank” to continue the job. 

She was succeeded by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who was in the role for nine months. Hipkins told his supporters late Saturday he had called Luxon to concede.

At his victory event in Auckland, New Zealand, Luxon said that he was thrilled to start his new job. “You have reached for hope and you have voted for change,” he said onstage. 

According to the AP, two of the main issues Luxon ran on during his campaign were cracking down on crime and cutting taxes for the middle class.