WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Just three months out from New Zealand’s upcoming general election, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed he emerged victorious from an internal leadership confidence vote held by his center-right National Party caucus.
The private vote was held during an emergency, hastily arranged gathering of National Party lawmakers at Wellington’s Parliament building on Wednesday. After the ballot concluded, Luxon appeared before media outlets flanked by his fellow parliamentary colleagues, delivered a short public statement and left the venue without answering any questions from assembled journalists.
“ There was a confidence vote in my leadership this morning at our caucus meeting,” Luxon told reporters. “I had the full support of our caucus and our caucus is united and it is determined to win this election.”
As is standard for internal party confidence ballots, the vote was conducted by secret ballot, and Luxon declined to release specific vote totals or share how many caucus members backed his continued leadership.
This confidence vote marks the second time Luxon has called for a formal show of support from his party since April. The first vote, held earlier this year, came after the National Party recorded a significant drop in public opinion polling. This week’s vote was triggered after a series of recent public comments from Luxon that some party members have characterized as unforced missteps or gaffes.
In an unusual move, Luxon preemptively addressed growing leadership unrest on social media Tuesday, one day before the caucus meeting. He confirmed that he would call the special session to resolve internal tensions openly ahead of the vote.
“It is my firm belief that division and disunity are a major distraction only 90 days out from the election,” Luxon wrote on the social platform X, formerly Twitter. “I also believe this distraction is unfair to the New Zealand people, and dedicated National Party candidates, supporters and volunteers, when there is so much at stake.”
The National Party has led a right-wing coalition government in New Zealand since the country’s 2023 general election. A former chief executive of Air New Zealand, Luxon first entered Parliament in 2020 and has served as leader of the National Party since 2021. The upcoming national election is scheduled to be held on November 7. The early confidence vote has left lingering questions about internal party unity as the National Party enters the final stretch of the election campaign.