Seven candidates from Otago and Southland will go forward for final selection on the Labour Party list for this year's general election.
The list, announced following a meeting in Balclutha on Saturday, ranks the potential candidates with cabinet minister Pete Hodgson at No 1, followed by fellow minister David Parker, then MP Lesley Soper, Dunedin South candidate Clare Curran, New Zealand Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union president Don Pryde (who sought the Dunedin South candidacy), Network Waitaki accountant and business analyst Mark Lester (Oamaru) and Queenstown quantity surveyor Gordon Dickson.
Party regional chairwoman Ruth Chapman said the party had a limit of 10 people it could choose from the area. The seven candidates selected were the only ones who sought nomination.
Sitting Dunedin South MP David Benson-Pope and Invercargill businessman Wayne Harpur had earlier withdrawn their nominations.
Mr Benson-Pope will still not be drawn on his career plans or respond to any speculation about him standing as an independent, standing by his previous comments about his loyalty to the Labour Party.
Ms Curran also announced the launch of her campaign for Dunedin South on Saturday, to coincide with International Women's Day. Her campaign base will be in the Dunedin South Labour Party premises in Macandrew Rd, in South Dunedin.
