A new National Party candidate has thrown his hat into the ring for the seat of Whitlam.
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Bowral-based agricultural consultant Stephen Wentworth was endorsed by the party on Thursday, after former candidate James Harker-Mortlock was unable to renounce his British citizenship.
The NSW Nationals accepted James Harker-Mortlock's withdrawal as their candidate for the federal seat "as a section 44 issue was unable to be resolved".
"It is unfortunate to lose a formidable candidate in this way, and we thank Mr Harker-Mortlock for his efforts thus far," a NSW Nationals spokesman said.
Mr Wentworth said he decided to run for Whitlam as "it was an opportunity that presented itself at the time".
"I think we can bring a presence to the western side of the electorate that hasn't been felt in a long time," he said. "It's less about me and more about the people."
Mr Wentworth has been a member of the Nationals party for the past eight years, and prior to this he was a member of the Liberal party for 10 years. He was also the branch president of the Southern Highlands Young Liberals in the '90s.
Mr Wentworth grew up in Sutton Forest and attended Tudor House and Oxley College. He moved to Sydney to attend Newington College and study agronomy at the University of Sydney.
The candidate returned to the Southern Highlands two-and-a-half years ago. He now runs a boutique consultancy called Feeding the Future, which specialises in the agri-sector.
Mr Wentworth said his priorities included funding for the Illawarra Highway, addressing mobile phone black spots, improvements to health facilities, more support for veterans and greater opportunities for agri-tourism.
Labor candidate Stephen Jones, Greens candidate Jamie Dixon and United Australia Party candidate Angelo Cudo will also run for the seat of Whitlam on election day on May 18.
