A Christchurch community board candidate has quit the race after a personal conversation on a social media application was leaked online.

Explicit photographs and written messages included in the conversation were posted on the Whale Oil blog this morning.

The People's Choice candidate Paul Findlay withdrew from the Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board race today after the posts between him and what appeared to be a 15-year-old were revealed.

The identify of the other person involved in the conversation is not known.

In a statement released today, Findlay said he made a comment he regretted ''in the heat of the moment''.

''This city has bigger issues in this election than this incident. For the sake of my team and the sake of the real issues that Christchurch is facing, I am withdrawing my candidacy."

The People's Choice chairman Paul McMahon declined to comment and referred The Press to the party's campaign manager, Sara Epperson.

Epperson said the party respected Findlay's decision to stand down.

''We hold high expectations for our candidates and for the future of the city, and Mr Findlay sees his situation as a distraction from what we would like to achieve."

Epperson said neither Findlay or The People's Choice would be making any further comment on the issue.

Findlay unsuccessfully stood for the community board at the 2010 elections, then aged 24, receiving 5554 votes.

He is single and does not have any children.