The National Party says a boy who is just 17 years old now will contest Palmerston North in next year's general election.
William Wood will be 18 at the time of the election and will be the youngest person to stand for National.
Local party members selected him on Sunday.
Wood has just finished his final year of high school at Palmerston North Boys High School.
He will turn 18 in January and will re-sign his candidate nomination form after that.
"I’m incredibly humbled and excited to be selected to run in my home electorate of Palmerston North, and I’d like to thank the local National members here for their support," Wood said in a statement.
"Palmerston North is my home. It has all the benefits of a large city alongside a great rural community. The people here work hard, and expect the Government to spend their tax dollars wisely."
Green MP Chloe Swarbrick, at 25, is the current youngest MP. Swarbirck was 23 when she entered Parliament, becoming the youngest MP since Marilyn Waring, who was also 23 when she became an MP in 1975.
Wood is one of the country’s top young diplomats and the only delegate selected two years in a row to represent New Zealand at the Evatt Diplomacy Competition in Australia.
He has been the head of PNBHS’s debating team for 2019, was selected as the top debater for Super Eight Schools Competition, placed nationally at the United Nations Association of New Zealand speech competition and also coordinated the school’s Poppy Day collection volunteers.
Outside of political life Wood plays badminton, researches history and attends UN Youth events.
