![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/images-21-jpg.webp\")
Dr Sunita Gautam. Photo: Facebook <\/p>\nLabour’s candidate to contest the Selwyn seat in the November\u00a0General Election has pulled out of the race and been replaced by a Christchurch community board chair.<\/p>\n
Nick Moody\u00a0has withdrawn as a candidate to focus\u00a0on his role as an Environment Canterbury regional councillor.<\/p>\n
He will be replaced\u00a0by\u00a0Ara Institute of Canterbury lecturer and Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board member, Dr Sunita Gautam.<\/p>\n
Gautam says\u00a0she was a \u201cunionist\u2019s daughter\u201d and was\u00a0raised to value collective responsibility and stand\u00a0up for others.<\/p>\n
She is the\u00a0community board chairperson, a Justice of the Peace and\u00a0a marriage and civil union celebrant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what it means to build a life through hard work, opportunity and the support of a community. Selwyn is a diverse and growing electorate with incredible people, and I look forward to listening, connecting and working alongside residents,\u201d\u00a0Gautam said.<\/p>\n
Dr Sunita Gautam. Photo: Facebook <\/p>\n
She will contest the Selwyn seat against current National MP Nicola Grigg, independent candidate Zoran Rakovic, and Alliance Party candidate Jesse Luke.<\/p>\n
Moody was elected to ECan in October last year as a Christchurch South regional councillor. He was then\u00a0named as Labour\u2019s Selwyn candidate in early May<\/a>.\u00a0If Moody had resigned from ECan, it could have triggered a by-election.<\/p>\n