Harete Hipango, National Party candidate for the Whanganui seat in the September general election, with retiring MP for Whanganui Chester Borrows.

Whanganui lawyer Harete Hipango has been selected as the National Party's candidate for September's general election.

Hipango hopes to succeed four-term MP Chester Borrows, who is standing down. She will face Labour's Steph Lewis and the Greens' Nicola Patrick in the election race.

Hipango said she had a lifelong interest in politics and was excited about her selection.

Suppiled Harete Hipango, Whanganui, has been selected as the National Party candidate for the Whanganui seat in the September general election.

"I'm a people person, I always have been."

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Now that her children had all left home, she had the time to devote to the role, she said.

"I'm not compromised now, I can give it 100 per cent, once I get fully immersed in the role."

Hipango had practised as a lawyer for more than 25 years and was a member of the Whanganui District Health Board, Maori Land/Farms Incorporation Board and a number of other boards.

She would transition out of her work as a lawyer to campaign full time and was keen to become better known in the South Taranaki end of the electorate.

"I will be investing a lot of time and priority into South Taranaki. I'm aware of the concerns about having a Whanganui person to represent the region. I'd like to allay people's concerns, I intend to spend as much time as possible up there and I will have a very good mentor in Chester Borrows. I intend to continue the work he has done."

Hipango said she had family and business links to Taranaki and a good understanding of the rural community, having grown up on a farm and worked as a rousie and in a freezing works while studying.

She was picked for the role after three rounds of voting by 60 delegates in Whanganui on Sunday, acting chairman of the Whanganui electorate, Neil Walker said.

"We had the most dramatic day of selection and we chose Harete Hipango on the third ballot."

This was the first time a Maori woman had been selected for a seat vacated by a sitting MP, he said.

"We're starting a new chapter, we are more united as a people in Taranaki and Whanganui.

"It's historic, it reflects what the country is becoming. And Harete has a great deal of eloquence and charm."