The National Party has unveiled its 2026 election list, keeping its senior leadership firmly in place while opening the door for a new crop of candidates.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon takes the number one position, followed by deputy leader Nicola Willis, with Chris Bishop, Simeon Brown and Erica Stanford completing the top five.
Paul Goldsmith is ranked sixth, Louise Upston seventh and Mark Mitchell eighth, leaving National’s top eight unchanged from its current caucus rankings.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee moves into ninth place and will stand as a list-only candidate at the November 7 general election.
National Party president Sylvia Wood says the list combines experienced ministers and sitting MPs with candidates bringing experience from outside Parliament.
Among the new names given prominent positions are Christchurch Central candidate Dale Stephens at 23, Tāmaki candidate Mahesh Muralidhar at 24, West Coast-Tasman candidate Katie Milne at 25 and Henderson candidate Angee Nicholas at 26.
One of the biggest movements is former Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee, who has fallen from 13th in the party rankings to number 30 on the election list.
The rankings will be important under the MMP system, particularly for candidates who fail to win an electorate and must rely on National securing enough party votes to bring them into Parliament.
The list gives voters their clearest indication yet of the team National wants to take into the next term as the party prepares to defend the Government benches at the November election.
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