ACT Leader David Seymour has downplayed any claims he and his party are the de facto Opposition after he overtook Judith Collins as second on the list of preferred Prime Ministers behind Jacinda Ardern.

Seymour told Jamie Mackay on The Country there is still a long way to go until the election.

"It's two years until the election, we're running a marathon here. If you hoot and holler every time you run a fast 100m you'll get so tired you might not finish."

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