The party said it was focused on at least doubling that figure to ensure TOP had a voice in the next parliament.
Morgan will continue as leader while the party considers who will be at the forefront of the next election campaign.
"The fact is, while I remain committed to helping fund and coordinate TOP's evidence-based policies, I have no desire to lead the party in Parliament.
''With a strong group of candidates and supporters it is proper to pass that torch on to someone else prior to the next election," said Morgan.
Morgan has been a polarising figure who has been the target of public condemnation over a series of comments that were seen as insensitive and an embarrassment to the party.
After the death of the Prime Minister's cat, he said called the owners of wandering pets a curse that showed "callous disregard" for the country's wildlife.
He recently wrote an email effectively firing TOP candidate Jenny Condie: "Please just resign from the party - you're a pain in the arse."
Morgan admitted that he had rubbed some of the public the wrong way with his reaction to "people serving up idiot wind".
"I'm pretty direct and I don't tolerate fools," he told RNZ's Morning Report.
"On every subject there's an opinion, and there's an informed opinion. And the two are not the same thing. When I'm faced with an issue I know nothing about, I actually shut up. But when I'm faced with the public, some of whom will run on empty, on and on, I give it to them. That will not change. I am who I am.
"Charm has a big role to play in politics. We saw that with Jacinda, when 20 per cent of the population moved in 24 hours, so that obviously requires a slightly different skill-set. Combine that with the fact that I don't want to go to Parliament anyway, and it's a no-brainer."
He said there were a number of people interested in spreading the message of the party as leader, including Geoff Simmons - who will resign as deputy leader.
"But his hat may well be in the ring for the leadership position at the end of the year," Morgan said.
Morgan has poured over $2 million of his own money into the party, which won 62,261 votes at the election and 2.4 per cent of the vote - not enough to win any seats in Parliament.
He said the new Government had done well on its education policies, such as axing national standards, but its tax working group was a "sham".
- NZN