How does status shape politicians' reelection prospects? A growing body of literature on the so-called incumbent advantage studies politicians' careers by examining how leveraging the privileges associated with a politician’s position increases the likelihood of future electoral success. However, this empirical work falls short in isolating the role of status, given that incumbency also provides access to additional resources and networks. We address this gap by introducing a new concept, "status advantage," which arises from disparities in the esteem hierarchies experienced by politicians within their party following their election to parliament. Using data from the Greek electoral system and employing a Regression Discontinuity (RD) Design, we compare the reelection prospects of MPs who received bonus seats with those of "regular" MPs. Our findings suggest that MPs elected as regulars have a significantly higher probability of running in the next election and being reelected, compared to those elected as bonuses, indicating the influence of within-party status on electoral outcomes. Further analysis using parliamentary speeches throughout our period of study helps to unpack whether this effect is driven by a party mechanism, where the party is more likely to promote regular MPs, or an individual mechanism, where MPs internalize their status. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the importance of status in shaping political careers and thereby affecting democratic accountability.