UPDATED 1.26PM: Labour’s candidate in the Northland by-election has hit back at calls she should stand down.

Since New Zealand First leader Winston Peters announced he’d run in this month’s by-election, there have been calls for Willow-Jean Prime to abandon her campaign to avoid splitting the vote and potentially preventing Mr Peters from claiming victory against National Party candidate Mark Osborne.

“I think it has been a distraction, and what I want us to do is not focus on the personalities, but focus on the issues and do the best job,” she said.

The latest person to take the headlines calling for Ms Prime to stand aside is an unlikely one – fellow candidate Bruce Rogan.

Mr Rogan insists he’s only campaigning to raise awareness of issues affecting those who live in Kaipara.

But he says Mr Peters has a long-established understanding of issues in the region.

“He comes from Northland, he’s always had a base in Northland,” says Mr Rogan.

“He is a man with a chance to take the seat off the National Party. While my preference would be to see a Labour candidate succeed in Northland, I don’t think there is a prayer in Hades of that happening.”

Ms Prime is clear though - there is zero possibility of willingly giving up the contest.

“Mr Rogan’s wife contacted my campaign manager to discuss this and the response was that I would not be standing down."

The reason this by-election is seen as crucial for the left to win is because it would remove the National Government’s majority in Parliament.

Such a scenario would ensure the Government couldn’t just rely on the support of Act to pass legislation – needing to have other parties on side as well.

While Ms Prime may want the campaigning to focus on the politics, Winston Peters isn’t giving his Labour rival the same courtesy.

“They can’t win the seat, we believe we can, and I think that the rising support proves that,” he said.

While Ms Prime finished the 2014 election 9,300 votes behind National’s Mike Sabin, in a seat which the blue team has held since its establishment in 1996, she is also the only candidate from September’s election to recontest the seat.

“We now have 10 other names in the race and I think that needs to be taken into consideration,” she said.

“Who’s here really for Northland, and who’s here because of the opportunity?”

She is adamant she won’t be abandoning her campaign, and Labour won’t be left in the situation of creating a relationship similar to Act and National in the Epsom electorate.

Her party leader Andrew Little said the same last week, when Mr Peters announced he would stand.

But it’s possible to stand in an election and downplay your chances – a telling sign will be how much campaigning Mr Little does at her side.

“Andrew does plan to be back up here again in Northland during this by-election, as well as other MPs,” Ms Prime said when asked if she’d have her leader’s support.

Meanwhile, National’s candidate Mark Osborne has a much easier campaign. The Act Party’s Craig Nelson got 200 votes in last years election – he’s replaced by Robin Grieve – and the Conservative Party who pulled in 1,555 votes have ruled out standing in the by-election.

The reason party leader Colin Craig gave?

“We’ve looked at it and we don’t believe it’s worth splitting the centre-right vote in a by-election. I think it’s important that National retain the seat.”