Paengaroa-raised commercial lawyer and business consultant Kiri Allan has been selected as the Labour Party candidate for the East Coast electorate.
She will take on incumbent National Party MP Anne Tolley in the 2017 general election.
The East Coast electorate covers the main centres of Whakatane, Opotiki and Gisborne.
Ms Allan was confirmed as the party's candidate on the weekend and said she was honoured by her selection and looked forward to representing the electorate in Parliament."
"East Coast is a large electorate made up of many strong communities and I will be working hard to make sure all these voices are heard loud and clear in Parliament," she said in a statement.