The National Party is not revealing if it has received any nominations to challenge three-term MP Craig Foss for the Tukituki candidacy for next year's general election.
The nominations were opened by public notice 10 days ago and close next Monday, but a spokesperson for the party's national headquarters in Wellington said that the only announcement will be when the candidate is confirmed.
Party rules bar prospective nominees from announcing their intentions publicly, including Mr Foss, who was at the centre of a 8812-votes turnaround in his first two elections.
Candidate for the first time in 2002 he was on the losing end of a 6410 majority to Labour incumbent Rick Barker, but reversed the outcome three years later with his own majority of 2402.
The Labour Party has already confirmed 2014 candidate Anna Lorck's second bid for the Tukituki seat but National Party regional co-ordinator Mark Nicholson said the party is in the early stages of its candidacy search nationwide.