ACT

Explore ACT's leader, background and priorities. An educational guide, not an endorsement.

Leader

David Seymour grew up in Palmerston North and Whangārei and has Ngāpuhi whakapapa on his father's side. He studied electrical engineering and philosophy at the University of Auckland, then worked in Canada for a free-market think tank before coming home to run for ACT. He won the Epsom electorate in 2014 and was, for a long time, ACT's only MP - the party was almost wiped out and Seymour kept it alive almost single-handedly. He became leader the same year. Many voters first noticed him when he took part in Dancing with the Stars in 2018, raising money for the children's helpline Kidsline. He also campaigned for the End of Life Choice Act, which passed by public vote in 2020. At the 2023 election ACT jumped to eleven MPs and Seymour negotiated a coalition deal with National and NZ First. Under that deal he is Deputy Prime Minister from mid-2025, and he has also driven a controversial Treaty Principles Bill and a Regulatory Standards Bill, arguing every New Zealander should be treated equally under the law. Critics, including many Māori leaders, say his Treaty proposals are divisive; supporters say the questions he raises need asking. Seymour goes into 2026 trying to grow ACT into a permanent power broker rather than a one-man band.