The election will be held on November 7 and National MP Joseph Mooney is running for a third term.
Mr Mooney has been the only representative for the Southland electorate since its creation in 2020, winning two elections by a significant margin, and said in a statement he was honoured to be selected unopposed.
"It is a real privilege to have been reselected as National’s candidate for Southland. Representing this electorate has been a real privilege, and I’m proud to once again put my name forward to serve the people of Southland."
Mr Mooney lauded Southland as an "extraordinary electorate" and said he was a strong voice in Parliament pushing for regional development, the primary sector, and other supports to ensure growth.
"Southlanders are pragmatic people. They expect their MP to listen, to front up and to get on with the job. That’s how I’ve approached this role, and that’s exactly how I’ll continue."
Facing Mr Mooney is a new face to the Labour Party, Dipton farmer Peter McDonald, who has plenty of experience serving his community.
Mr McDonald was an Environment Southland regional councillor for six years, has been a volunteer fire brigade member for 30 years, and has held other advocacy and community positions, all the while juggling work as a farmer.
"I feel quite strongly the traditional centre-right ... National Party has been moved from its centre foundation. The actions of the government — I’ve seen ministerial overreach, denigration of indigenous rights.
"I’ve seen a restriction of voting access and registration, and gender pay and inequality debate play out in the House. These aren’t the actions of a centre party," he said.
Southland was a diverse electorate, and Mr McDonald said with his experience on the farm, while also residing in Queenstown, he will be mixing up strong advocacy for the resort to get reciprocal services for the revenue they bring, while not forgetting the rural sector.
"[Queenstown is] carrying a huge amount of weight for the economy, but they don’t feel like they have been fairly treated. When we come to the rural sector, I’ve been a part of it all my life.
"I’m an experienced farmer, I can understand what they mean, I can bring that to discussions. It’s good to have multiple points of engagement for Southland — the more the better — and another advocate for Southland with Labour," he said.
A spokesperson from the Green Party said the party was in the process of selecting a candidate for the Invercargill electorate, but was unsure of a candidate for the wider Southland electorate.
