Ron Mark to contest Wairarapa for NZ First in 2026

NZ First has confirmed former MP Ron Mark will stand in Wairarapa at the 2026 election. Mark was an MP from 1996 to 2008 and again from 2014 to 2020, serving as minister for defence, veterans' affairs, and state-owned enterprises in the Labour-led coalition. He also served two terms as Carterton's mayor.