National Party president Peter Goodfellow has been re-elected to the position, prompting his challenger David Carter to resign from the board.
National Party president Peter Goodfellow Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Goodfellow has been been in the role since 2009 but has been under pressure since the party's disastrous election showing given his oversight of candidate selections.
Speaking at the party's annual conference, Goodfellow told members he would work with the leader Judith Collins and caucus to ensure election victory in 2023.
To the audience's surprise, he then revealed Carter - a former Cabinet minister and Speaker - had retired from the board, despite only joining it last year.
Goodfellow said the board would meet later this year and consult members on how to fill the "casual vacancy".
The president is selected by the party's board. Goodfellow is known to be a successful fundraiser for the party.
Roughly 700 party members are in Auckland for the party's AGM which wraps up today with panels on the economy, Covid-19, and mental health.
Collins is also due to give the traditional leader's address early this afternoon.