National's Napier candidate announced next week

Taradale author Deborah Burnside is understood to be a nominee for the National Party's Napier candidacy. PHOTO/FILE

The National Party's chosen candidate to contest the Napier electorate will be announced next week - yet Hawke's Bay Today understands the two nominations are Taradale author and businesswoman Deborah Burnside and ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot David Elliott.

Yesterday a National Party spokesman confirmed two nominations had been received for the Napier seat.

"Local Napier National Party members will choose delegates who will vote for their preferred candidate at a final selection meeting on 25 March," he said.

The succesful candidate would be announced after the final meeting.

The incumbent Labour MP Stuart Nash said while he was curious to find out who the candidate would be, "it doesn't faze me".

"It won't make any difference to the way we're campaining, we'll keep going hard on the issues that are important...and I'll keep standing up for Napier."

He was sure whoever the candidate, this election would be clean and civilised - as he said his previous experiences against former National MP Chris Tremain and candidate Wayne Walford had been.

During the selection process nominees cannot discuss whether they have been nominated for the candidacy.

National's 2014 candidate Mr Walford has already confirmed he will not seek the candidacy again - he was selected over Hastings District Councillor Adrienne Pierce, and Mrs Burnside.

When asked yesterday if she could commment on the selection process, Ms Pierce said she did not go for selection for the Napier seat.

Mrs Burnside said she was "not able to make a comment, none of the candidates are able to make any comment at all".

Hawke's Bay Today understands the National nomination window was extended for nearly a month so unsuccessful candidates for the Tukituki seat could potentially put their hands up for the Napier seat.

Hastings resident Mr Elliott said he could not comment yesterday.

Once selected, National's succesful candidate will contest the seat against Mr Nash, and Green Party candidate Damon Rusden.

Democrats for Social Credit candidate Barry Pulford also has his eye on the seat. This will be his sixth time tackling the polls - he first stood under the party's banner in 1990.