Incumbent MP for Sunderland CentralJulie Elliott announced that she would not seek reelection at the 2024 general election, which Atkinson later described as a "total surprise."[1] Three days later on 30 May 2024, Atkinson was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the constituency.[8][9] He was elected in the 2024 general election,[10] winning the seat with 16,852 votes (42.18% of the vote) with a majority of 15.2%.[11][12]