Nominations have closed for next month's general election, but the complete list of those standing isn't expected to be released until later today.
By late yesterday, Hawke's Bay Today was aware of 22 candidates seeking Hawke's Bay seats in the September 20 election - six in each of the generalroll electorates of Napier, Hastings-based Tukituki and CHB-to-Cape Palliser Wairarapa, and four in East Coast-to-Wairarapa Maori electorate of Ikaroa Rawhiti.
Only Labour and the Green Party had publicly confirmed candidates in all four.
Among the candidates is Mary O'Neill, representing the Alliance and the only woman candidate in Napier, where as a novice campaigner in 2011 she claimed 48 votes, the third-lowest vote of any candidate in the 60 electorates throughout the country.
Another is Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa environmental officer Ra Smith, who on Monday was named as one of 17 Maori Party candidates in general roll electorates, in addition to the seven Maori seats. He will contest the Wairarapa seat.
The election will bring a near complete 2013-2014 replacement of the region's parliamentary representatives, Napier and Wairarapa both getting new representatives following the retirements of incumbent National Party MPs Chris Tremain and John Hayes respectively, and the Labour Party's Meka Whaitiri having been elected Ikaroa Rawhiti MP in a by-election just last year.
