sentences:  De Cleene was the most experienced Labour candidate who put his name forward for selection, and despite concerns about his often controversial nature, he was nominated by the party.The candidate put forward by National was his old foe Brian Elwood, with whom he had worked on the Palmerston North City Council for many years, and against whom he lost the mayoralty contest in 1974.Elwood and de Cleene received 8315 and 10425 votes, respectively (representing 35.7% and 48.5%, respectively), with de Cleene thus entering Parliament in 1981.