Swarbrick misses out on Auckland Central nomination for Green Party

Denise Roche (right) will represent the Green Party in Auckland Central.

Political newcomer Chloe Swarbrick has lost out on the Green Party nomination for the high-profile Auckland Central seat.

The party's members went for experience over youth in the seat, reselecting second-term MP and workplace relations spokesman Denise Roche.

Roche will go up against National MP for Auckland Central Nikki Kaye, who has confirmed she will defend the seat after recovering from treatment for breast cancer.

Roche said she was "thrilled" to be reselected. Auckland Central was "critical" to the Greens' party vote - the party won more votes than Labour there in 2014.

The MP also congratulated Swarbrick for her "spirited" campaign.

Swarbrick has a high profile after she placed third in the Auckland mayoral race last year despite no political experience and a tiny campaign budget.

Her challenge against a sitting MP raised the prospect of a rare deselection within the Green Party.

Auckland Central was the closest race in the country in 2014, with Kaye beating Labour's Jacinda Ardern by just 600 votes.

Ardern is now competing in the Mt Albert by-election, and Labour is yet to choose her replacement.