'Complete victory for National Party establishment'

Scroll down for MPs who supported Bennett or Bridges.

Simon Bridges has pulled out of National's deputy leader race, leaving Paula Bennett as the only candidate. 

"While my numbers were good, they weren't good enough," Mr Bridges told reporters at Auckland's Britomart this morning.

Mr Bridges pitched himself as the outsider candidate.

But commentator Matthew Hooton says, "In the end, the National Party establishment has had a complete victory, securing Bill English in the prime ministership, Paula Bennett in the deputy's job and Steven Joyce as minister of finance without a vote being cast."

He adds, "While Judith Collins and Jonathan Coleman were easily swatted away, Simon Bridges' challenge to the preordained result demonstrated enough caucus support that he will need to be brought firmly into the inner circle to maintain unity in the party."

But although National's week-long contest has ended up so orderly and cut-and-dried, fellow political commentator Bryce Edwards says Mr English will have to face a challenge from the right; the only question is if it comes with pre-election poll stumble or a post-election power struggle.

Four factors in Bennett's favour
Ms Bennett has four factors in her favour for MPs who wanted to counter-balance Mr English: she's female, relatively young, from West Auckland — a key marginal area where Chris Trotter's "Waitakere Man" could swing the next election – and possessed of a Westie personality where the incoming PM is more Thunderbird.

Mr Bridges shares her youth but comes from an area (Tauranga) that National already has in the bag. 

Praise from English
In a statement, presumptive new prime minister Bill English called Ms Bennett, "an outstanding politician whose work on welfare reform is world-leading. I am proud to have a smart, energetic woman as New Zealand's second only female Deputy Prime Minister."

He also praised her rival, saying "I want to thank Simon Bridges as a constructive and energetic candidate for the deputy leadership. He too is an outstanding politician and I look forward to working with him in the leadership team."

Mr English did not endorse either candidate during the race. Nor did outgoing PM John Key.

Caucus will officially vote in the new leader and deputy on Monday.

Here's how the endorsement picture looked first thing this morning:

Publicly declared for Paula Bennett
(bold = declared for English)

1. Paula Bennett
2. Amy Adams
3. Jono Naylor
4. Alfred Ngaro
5. Nuk Korako
6. Chester Borrows
7. Mark Mitchell
8. Ian McKelvie
9. Brett Hudson
10. Barbara Kuriger
11. Louise Upston
12. Murray McCully
13. Joanne Hayes
14. Jacqui Dean
15. Nikki Kaye
16. Parmjeet Parmar
17. Alastair Scott
18. Jo Goodhew
19. Craig Foss
20. Nicky Wagner
21. Hekia Parata
22. Lindsay Tisch
23. Jian Yang

Publicly declared for Simon Bridges

1. Simon Bridges
2. Todd Muller
3. Jonathan Young
4. Todd Barclay
5. Jami-Lee Ross
6. Sarah Dowie
7. Todd McClay
8. Paul Foster-Bell
9. Simon O’Connor

Yet to declare

1. John Key
2. Bill English
3. Steven Joyce
4. Gerry Brownlee
5. Anne Tolley
6. Judith Collins
7. Jonathan Coleman
8. Nick Smith
9. Chris Finlayson
10. Michael Woodhouse
11. Nathan Guy
12. David Carter
13. Paul Goldsmith
14. Chris Bishop
15. David Bennett
16. Shane Reti
17. Maureen Pugh
18. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 
19. Mellissa Lee
20. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga
21. Maggie Barry
22. Andrew Bayly
23. Tim Macindoe
24. Scott Simpson
25. Maurice Williamson
26. Matt Doocey
27. Stuart Smith

Polls favour Bennett
A Horizon Poll of 1200 released exclusively to NBR Friday morning had Ms Bennett leading Mr Bridges by 6% among National Party voters (once the incumbent Bill English and non-starter Steven Joyce were discounted). 

Among the wider public, Ms Bennett led Mr Bridges by 2%.

An NBR Business Pulse poll found Ms Bennett with a 59% to 41% lead among this publication's business readership.

Eagleson stays
In Friday's other major political development, Mr English said Wayne Eagleson will remain as the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff.

Opposition parties have called for the backroom player's head at various times during his tenure, notably during the Dirty Politics controversy and the release of journalist Andrea Vance's phone records.  But John Key stood by his man.