New Zealand First has unveiled its 50-candidate party list for Election 2026, with leader Winston Peters taking the number one position as the party prepares for the final month of the campaign.
Peters is standing list-only, followed by Shane Jones at number two, Casey Costello at three, Mark Patterson at four and former National MP and minister Alfred Ngaro at five. Former MP, broadcaster and local government politician Michael Laws takes sixth place and is contesting Waitaki.
Former National MP Harete Hipango-Brownlie is seventh and contesting Whanganui, followed by Craig Stobo at eight. Former All Blacks captain and Tukituki candidate Taine Randell takes the ninth position, while sitting NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft rounds out the top ten and is standing in Kaipara-ki-Mahurangi.
Other notable names include former Wellington mayor Andy Foster at 11, sitting MP Jamie Arbuckle at 13, West Coast-Tasman candidate and former Buller mayor Jamie Cleine at 14, and former Defence Minister Ron Mark at 16, who is attempting a return to Parliament while contesting Wairarapa.
The list also includes candidates spread across the country, including Esther Tofilau-Tevaga in Manurewa at 18, Vicky Hau in Māngere at 21, Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri in Mt Albert at 32, Billy Brown in Rotorua at 34 and Shane Wiremu in Christchurch East at 45. Murray Chong completes the list at number 50 and, like Peters, is standing list-only.
The release sets out the team NZ First will take into the 7 November general election, with the eventual number of list candidates entering Parliament dependent on the party’s share of the nationwide party vote and any electorate seats it wins.
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| # | Name | Electorate |
| 1 | Rt Hon Winston Peters | List Only |
| 2 | Hon Shane Jones | Northland |
| 3 | Hon Casey Costello | Port Waikato |
| 4 | Hon Mark Patterson | Taieri |
| 5 | Hon Alfred Ngaro | Glendene |
| 6 | Michael Laws | Waitaki |
| 7 | Harete Hipango-Brownlie | Whanganui |
| 8 | Craig Stobo | Botany |
| 9 | Taine Randell | Tukituki |
| 10 | Jenny Marcroft | Kaipara-ki-Mahurangi |
| 11 | Andy Foster | Remutaka |
| 12 | Dr David Wilson | Henderson |
| 13 | Jamie Arbuckle | Kaikoura |
| 14 | Jaime Cleine | West Coast-Tasman |
| 15 | Tracey Coxhead | Mt Maunganui |
| 16 | Hon Ron Mark | Wairarapa |
| 17 | Jason Herrick | Southland |
| 18 | Esther Tofilau-Tevaga | Manurewa |
| 19 | Penny Gaylor | Kapiti |
| 20 | Elliot Ikilei | Takanini |
| 21 | Vicky Hau | Mangere |
| 22 | Bernadette Soares | Upper Harbour |
| 23 | Robert Cookson | Waikato |
| 24 | Mark Arneil | Christchurch Central |
| 25 | Lee Smith | Taranaki-King Country |
| 26 | Kym McDonald-King | Dunedin |
| 27 | Martin Gummer | Epsom |
| 28 | Te Kira Lawrence | Napier |
| 29 | Daryl Habraken | Northcote |
| 30 | Vincent Anderson | Coromandel |
| 31 | Vince Cocurullo | Whangarei |
| 32 | Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri | Mt Albert |
| 33 | Steve Gibson | Rangitikei |
| 34 | Billy Brown | Rotorua |
| 35 | Alister Boyce | Hutt South |
| 36 | Keegan Langeveld | Maungakiekie |
| 37 | Bryce Park | Wigram |
| 38 | Isaac Nicholson | Rangitata |
| 39 | Gerald Warner | Wellington Bays |
| 40 | Taylor Arneil | Wellington North |
| 41 | Nicola Laboyrie | Hamilton East |
| 42 | Vaughan Taylor | East Coast Bays |
| 43 | Kevin Stone | Hamilton West |
| 44 | Jackie Farrelly | Waimakariri |
| 45 | Shane Wiremu | Christchurch East |
| 46 | Elizabeth Mundt | Selwyn |
| 47 | John Stringer | Banks Peninsula |
| 48 | Jon Blackshaw | Kenepuru |
| 49 | Nathan Walton | Ilam |
| 50 | Murray Chong | List Only |
