Te Pāti Māori wont stand a candidate in the upcoming Tauranga by-election due to safety concerns.
The party says a string of racist incidents in the city, including a white nationalist leaflet drop, and death threats have led them to opt out of the race altogether, and in doing so protect their mana.
But others already in the running say it's an insult to stereotype the entire Tauranga electorate as racist.
Here our reporter Leah Tebbutt in Tauranga.
