National reveals candidate list with party president Sylvia Wood saying the list brings together ‘experienced ministers, hardworking local MPs, and new talent with real-world experience’

The National Party has unveiled its candidate list for November’s election with its senior members still in the top spots.

National leader Christopher Luxon and Deputy Nicola Willis are first and second on the list, as per the party’s constitution.

Chris Bishop is in the third spot. Bishop told RNZ in July, that it was “highly unlikely” he would retain his Hutt South electorate seat following political polling.

Simeon Brown, Erica Stanford, Paul Goldsmith, Louise Upston, Mark Mitchell, Gerry Brownlee and Todd McClay make up the rest of the top 10.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday afternoon, Luxon said National had a list ranking committee and took it very seriously.

“We’ve essentially got our front bench … and then we’ve introduced Gerry [Brownlee]. We’ve got … other ministers that are in Cabinet, then obviously Nancy [Lu], and then ministers outside of Cabinet.”

“That’s sort of the thinking about … have we got the experienced ministers we need," Luxon said.

Brownlee, who is Speaker of the House, has moved up from 14 to 9. Both Brownlee and Willis are running list-only.

“We really value Gerry. We think very highly of him, and you know that's why we have him where we have him,” Luxon said.

Brownlee was respected tremendously in National and he would love for him to continue as Speaker of the House, Luxon said.

Nancy Lu has moved from 20 to 16 while Tama Potaka has moved from 24 to 11.

Willis said Potaka; “has been an incredible ambassador for our party in te ao Māori and has achieved a lot as a minister, and has been very influential in terms of the agendas of other ministers in our cabinet.”

James Meager, Cameron Brewer, Tom Rutherford, Scott Simpson and Mike Butterick have also moved up on the list.

Melissa Lee was bumped from 13 to 30, with Luxon saying National was backing her to win the Mt Albert seat. Suze Redmayne has gone from 21 to 32 while Catherine Wedd has dropped from 23 to 37.

‘Suite of new talent’

National Party president Sylvia Wood said the 2026 list combines experienced ministers, hardworking local MPs, and new talent with real-world experience, who were "ready to deliver for Kiwis so they can continue to get ahead.”

Wood said joining this team was a “suite of new talent”, pointing to former Federated Farmers President Katie Milne, executive Dale Stephens (Te Rarawa), entrepreneur Mahesh Muralidhar, and Pasifika lawyer Angee Nicholas.

She also pointed to Blair Cameron, who has worked at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and South Auckland operations co-ordinator and tutor for local parents, Rosemary Bourke.

“With recent selections across the country we also expect to welcome the likes of Emma Chatterton, an expert in social investment and education policy, into Parliament,” Wood said.

Asked if the National Party board had confidence in the job Luxon was doing, Wood said “absolutely.”

Latest political poll has coalition able to form a government

The list comes as Luxon has had a challenging week, apologising for his remarks at a breakfast hosted by the Rotorua Business Chamber last week, suggesting he would hold a referendum on MMP if re-elected and defending his use of an Air Force flight after attending a National Party fundraiser.

He’s also been accused of inaction following comments made by NZ First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters towards Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan. Peters has remained in his role as Foreign Affairs Minister despite Opposition parties questioning his tenability and as his comments made international headlines.

However, the latest political poll, the Taxpayer's Union-Curia Poll for August, released on Friday, showed National, NZ First and ACT would be able to form a government - but only by the narrowest possible margin.

Those poll results showed National with 40 seats, ACT with nine seats and NZ First with 12.

Here is the National list:

1. Christopher Luxon — Botany
2. Nicola Willis — List
3. Chris Bishop — Hutt South
4. Simeon Brown — Pakuranga
5. Erica Stanford — East Coast Bays
6. Paul Goldsmith — Epsom
7. Louise Upston — Taupō
8. Mark Mitchell — Whangaparāoa
9. Gerry Brownlee — List
10. Todd McClay — Rotorua
11. Tama Potaka — Hamilton West
12. Matt Doocey — Waimakariri
13. Simon Watts — North Shore
14. Chris Penk — Kaipara-ki-Mahurangi
15. Penny Simmonds — Invercargill
16. Nancy Lu — List
17. Nicola Grigg — Selwyn
18. James Meager — Rangitata
19. Scott Simpson — Coromandel
20. Cameron Brewer — Upper Harbour
21. Mike Butterick — Wairarapa
22. Stuart Smith — Kaikōura
23. Dale Stephens — Christchurch Central
24. Mahesh Muralidhar — Tāmaki
25. Katie Milne — West Coast-Tasman
26. Angee Nicholas — Henderson
27. Katie Nimon — Napier
28. Tom Rutherford — Bay of Plenty
29. Carl Bates — Whanganui
30. Melissa Lee — Mt Albert
31. Dan Bidois — Northcote
32. Suze Redmayne — Rangitikei
33. Dana Kirkpatrick — East Cape
34. Carlos Cheung — Mt Roskill
35. Grant McCallum — Northland
36. Ryan Hamilton — Hamilton East
37. Catherine Wedd — Tukituki
38. Tim Costley — Kapiti
39. Vanessa Weenink — Banks Peninsula
40. Rosemary Bourke — Māngere
41. Blair Cameron — Nelson
42. Kristine Asuncion — Dunedin
43. Barbara Kuriger — Taranaki-King Country
44. Greg Fleming — Maungakiekie
45. Rima Nakhle — Takanini
46. David MacLeod — New Plymouth
47. Miles Anderson — Waitaki
48. Hamish Campbell — Ilam
49. Tim van de Molen — Waikato
50. Joseph Mooney — Southland
51. Sam Uffindell — Tauranga
52. Emma Chatterton — Papakura
53. Ankit Bansal — Palmerston North
54. Matthew French — Taieri
55. Candace Kinser — Auckland Central
56. Coral Raukawa — Te Tai Hauāuru
57. Tracy Summerfield — Wigram
58. Agnes Loheni — Waitakere
59. Lalit Arya — Ōtāhuhu
60. Matthew Evetts — Kenepuru
61. Lloyd Budd — Whangārei
62. Matthew Paul — Port Waikato
63. Sunil Kumar — Glendene
64. Karuna Muthu — Wellington Bays
65. Alexandra Davids — Christchurch East
66. Ghouse Majeed — Manurewa
67. Jonathan Pitts — Wellington North
68. Zabeen Lateef — Remutaka
69. Troy Elliott — List
70. Robin Atwall — List
71. Ash Nayyar — List
72. Maria Sanson — List