A date for the Tauranga by-election has been set.

That date is Saturday, June 18, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.

The by-election follows the announcement of the resignation of National MP Hon Simon Bridges.

'Mr Bridges has indicated that his resignation will take effect at 5pm on May 6,” says Ardern.

'The by-election will be held on Saturday 18 June, with Writ Day Wednesday, May 11.

'The deadline for candidate nominations to be received will be midday Tuesday, May 17, and the last day for the return of the Writ will be Sunday, July 10.”

National or one of its predecessor parties Reform have largely held the seat since it was re-established in 1908, other than for one term after Labour's landslide victory in 1935, and between 1993 and 2005, when it was held by Winston Peters as leader of NZ First.

Peters had formerly held the seat as an MP for the National Party. He declined to comment when asked by Stuff if he might stand again.

Despite this strong record of losses, Labour actually won the party vote in Tauranga in 2020, and came within 2000 votes of winning the seat itself. But it has seen its party vote support drop in the polls since that historic win.

Read more here.