In the 1887 electoral redistribution, although the Representation Commission was required through the Representation Act 1887 to maintain existing electorates "as far as possible", rapid population growth in the North Island required the transfer of three seats from the South Island to the north. Ten new electorates were created, including Rangitata, and one former electorate was recreated. The boundaries of the Rangitata electorate were adjusted in the 2013/14 review, when an area around Rakaia was transferred to the Selwyn electorate. The boundary shifted eastwards again in the 2019/20 review, when the boundary was aligned with the Rakaia River. The current electorate includes the following population centres :
The Rangitata electorate was first established for the. The election was contested by William Rolleston, who had represented in the previously Parliament, Searby Buxton, and William Palmer. Buxton beat Rolleston, who had been in Parliament since 1868, by 588 to 507 votes, with Palmer receiving 14 votes. Buxton held the electorate until the end of the term in 1890, when the electorate was abolished again. The electorate was re-established for the and won by William Maslin, who served until the end of the parliamentary term in 1896. The electorate was again abolished at the end of that term. The present electorate, established for the, consists of the old Aoraki electorate, and those parts of the old Rakaia electorate not included in the Selwyn electorate. It was created after a review of electoral boundaries conducted in the wake of the 2006 census, which showed that there had been a general northwards population movement. Even though the number of South Island electorates was fixed, the decline in the population of electorates from Rakaia south resulted in the boundaries of electorates from north to Rakaia shifting northwards. At the time of the formation of the Rangitata electorate, Jo Goodhew was the incumbent in the Aoraki electorate. She held the Rangitata electorate since its creation and in the, she more than doubled her majority. Goodhew announced in January 2017 that she would not be contesting the 2017 general election after being dropped from cabinet. The electorate was won at the election by Andrew Falloon, retaining it for the National Party.
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
