In yet another blow to the National Party’s stuttering campaign, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has somehow lost the United States midterm elections, despite not qualifying for, nor participating, in any of them.

Luxon was informed by aides late this afternoon that things were looking “pretty bad” for him across the country, and while polls were yet to close on the West Coast, he didn’t appear to be leading anywhere.

Perhaps even worse, a surprising number of write-in votes were cast explicitly against him.

Luxon has publicly dismissed the results, saying that the “only poll that matters” is “the Roy Morgan one from October 6th this year.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins called the development an “embarrassment” for Luxon, and insisted there was “absolutely no comparison” with his own loss in the Clacton by-election in the United Kingdom earlier this year.

“This is much, much bigger,” he said. “This one’s on TV more.”

Meanwhile, in Maine’s Senate race, neither incumbent Susan Collins nor challenger Troy Jackson has been able to secure more than 50% of the vote. This triggers an automatic runoff, which will be decided by Winston Peters.

Opportunity has failed to win Texas.