A high list ranking is a party-political badge of honour and Tukituki MP Craig Foss's number has been going in the right direction.
Mr Foss's solid work as a cabinet minister has seen him rise up the ranks of the National Party list: From 21st position at the 2011 election to 17th spot this year.
When the list was released a month ago Mr Foss told Hawke's Bay Today his aspiration was to eventually make it into a top 10 spot.
With all party lists confirmed this week, it turns out that status has already been achieved by one of Mr Foss's Tukituki rivals - who is number 7 on her party's list - and four other candidates standing in the seats covering Hawke's Bay.
But while Mr Foss's 17th position ensures he will be returning to Parliament, Tukituki candidate Romana Manning's seventh spot on the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party's list won't see her become an MP unless the ALCP experiences a massive boost in voter support.
High list rankings are more significant for Maori Party Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidate Marama Fox (number 2 on her party's list) and Napier Conservative Party candidate Garth McVicar (ranked number 3) who are both assured of seats if their parties pass the all-important 5 per cent party vote threshold.
Other Hawke's Bay electorate candidates who have a shot at winning list seats if their parties poll well are Mana's Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidate Te Hamua Nikora (ranked 7 on the combined Internet Mana list), New Zealand First Wairarapa candidate Ron Mark (9th on his party's list) and the Greens' Wairarapa candidate John Hart (17th).
At number 19 on the Labour list, Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri looks assured of returning to Parliament even if she doesn't hold on to the seat.
She is the only local Labour candidate to appear on the party's list, with Napier candidate Stuart Nash, Tukituki hopeful Anna Lorck and Wairarapa contender Kieran McAnulty all opting not to go on the list.
The three candidates have said they only want to enter Parliament if they win the support of their local electorates.
At 61 and 63 respectively on the National list, Wairarapa candidate Alastair Scott and Napier candidate Wayne Walford will most likely need to win their electorates to get into Parliament - unless there is a National landslide and the party wins more than 50 per cent of the party vote.
One benefit for aspiring politicians of being on a party's list is that candidates can be called into Parliament if a sitting member resigns midway through a term.
If Mr Scott gets in on the list (either next month or some time over the next three years) but Mr Walford misses out, Mr Walford can blame the alphabet.
National's policy is to position all new candidates contesting seats held by retiring MPs in a block on the list, ranked alphabetically.
The "W" in Walford means he is at the bottom of the block.