Paul Henry could be an MP: ACT puts him 4th on its list
ACT has put broadcaster Paul Henry at No 4 on its list for the 2026 general election. On current polling, he would become an MP.
The party put out its full list on Sunday 13 September. Leader David Seymour is No 1. Nicole McKee is No 2 and the new deputy leader RNZ. She replaces Brooke van Velden, who is leaving the deputy role.
Under MMP, voters get two votes. One picks a local MP. The other picks a party. The party list is the order used to fill seats from that second vote, like a queue.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard moves from No 5 to No 3. Children's Minister Karen Chhour moves up to No 5 Newstalk ZB. Henry is between them at No 4 in his first time on the list. Todd Stephenson drops from No 4 to No 6.
James Christmas starts at No 7. Parmjeet Parmar moves from No 9 to No 10. Cameron Luxton moves from No 11 to No 12. Far North councillor Davina Smolders is No 18.
The party website lists Henry as a List Candidate and James Christmas as Candidate for Tāmaki. It lists Seymour as Party Leader, MP for Epsom and Deputy Prime Minister. The release is called "ACT reveals team to unlock New Zealand's potential" and is dated 13 Sept 2026.
This was first signalled in July. On 14 July ACT published "Paul Henry to stand for ACT in 2026 election", saying he would stand as a list candidate ACT. Seymour announced it with Henry at a press conference NZ Herald.
The lead-up was short. Henry talked to Seymour about a list spot only a week before it was reported. He left the TVNZ board to stand.
Since then Henry has talked about splitting votes. He said ACT voters could back National candidates in their local area but still give their party vote to ACT. He said that could give the coalition a much better chance NZ Herald.
The broader context here is safety and who comes next. McKee at No 2 settles the new deputy. Hoggard and Chhour stay in the top five. Stephenson stays in the top six. Henry at No 4 and Christmas at No 7 start high enough to get in if ACT's vote holds. Parmar and Luxton are lower than before but still in spots that have put ACT people in Parliament in the past. Smolders at No 18 is back-up for now.
What this means for voters is simple. Local votes pick local MPs. The party vote and list order pick who else gets in. Seymour has kept his ministers near the top and added a well-known new name.
