Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that the 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November. “Continuing the recent tradition of announcing the election date early in the year ensures New Zealanders have certainty,” Mr Luxon says.
The King Country news says that National Party MP Barbara Kuriger has confirmed she intends to seek re-election in November for a fifth term representing Raglan and other parts of the Taranaki-King Country electorate, despite rumours suggesting otherwise.
Speaking ahead of the party’s caucus meeting in Christchurch this week, Kuriger dismissed speculation about her future, saying she remains committed to serving her constituents.
“I’m not planning to make any announcements this week or at all,” she said. “My selection’s not yet confirmed, but I’m planning on staying around.”
Kuriger, 65, who entered Parliament in 2014, holds one of the largest electorates in the country – a sprawling rural seat that includes Raglan to the north and will soon expand south to include Taumarunui.
It covers three regional councils and seven district councils. At the 2023 election she secured 24,760 votes to easily beat Labour’s Angela Roberts by 14,000. Since then, she has been deputy speaker of the House, a job she relishes.
In 1927 Labour defeated Reform (the precursor of National) in a by-election for Raglan constituency (see https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT19270930.2.87). It’d be good to celebrate, a century on, by once again having another progressive MP for Raglan. Who else is standing?