Election 2023: Candidates for Palmerston North, Rangitīkei and Te Tai Hauāuru announced

The 2023 general election campaign is in full swing with the release of the names of the candidates standing in the 65 general and seven Māori electorates.

Five men are standing against Palmerston North Labour MP Tangi Utikere in next month’s general election.

They are Ankit Bansal (National Party), Douglas Begg (Animal Justice Party), Dean Grant (New Zealand Loyal), Mike Harnett (Act Party) and Teanau Tuiono (Green Party).

In 2020, there were seven candidates - six men and one woman. In addition to Labour, National, Greens and Act, New Zealand First, New Conservative and Advance NZ had candidates.

Three men and two women are vying to replace retiring Rangitīkei MP Ian McKelvie.

They are Zulfiqar Butt (Labour), Andrew Hoggard (Act), Bernard Long (Greens), Suze Redmayne (National) and Helma Vermeulen (New Zealand First).

At the 2020 election, Advance NZ and New Conservative also had candidates.

Three women and one man hope to replace Te Tai Hauāuru MP Adrian Rurawhe, who is standing in this election as a list-only candidate.

The candidates are Harete Hipango (National), Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Te Pāti Māori), Soraya Peke-Mason (Labour) and Paris Winiata (Vision New Zealand).

At the last election, National did not have a candidate for Te Tai Hauāuru but Advance NZ, One Party, NZ Outdoors Party and New Conservatives did.

Voting opens on October 2 and closes at 7pm on October 14.