The Hastings District Mayor, Lawrence Yule, has been selected as National's candidate for the Tukituki electorate for the upcoming general election in September.
Lawrence Yule replaces Craig Foss as National's candidate for the Tukituki electorate. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
He is also the president of Local Government New Zealand and has served as Hastings' mayor for 15 years.
Mr Yule's council is currently at the centre of a major government inquiry over a water contamination last year which poisoned 5000 people with camplylobacter.
Mr Yule earlier said that he wanted to stay in his current role as mayor until the middle of the year, when an inquiry into why 5000 people caught a gastro bug from Havelock North's water supply was due to wrap up.
He replaces the outgoing Craig Foss as National's candidate for the electorate which covers most of the southern Hawke's Bay, including Hastings, Flaxmere, and Havelock North.
Mr Foss won the seat with a 6490 majority in 2014.