Broken Hill City councillor Dave Gallagher has resigned from the National Party less than a week after being preselected as its Barwon candidate for the 2023 state election.
He defeated White Cliffs grazier and former head of the New South Wales Country Women's Association, Annette Turner, last weekend.
Mr Gallagher said he did not have enough support from within the party to be a state candidate.
He said party polling results revealed he was unpopular, despite receiving a majority of votes to run.
"I didn't think I got the support so I decided to withdraw, but I'd like to have been tapped on the shoulder and told earlier," Mr Gallagher said.
"I won it fair and square … but I'm not the person they think could win, and to me it's pretty hard to swallow," he said.
The land mass of the Barwon seat is one of the biggest in NSW.
It is historically a stronghold for the Nationals.
Mr Gallagher said it was difficult to process after putting his "heart and soul" into the Nationals for 11 years and working as the Broken Hill branch's chairman.
"It wouldn't be as much of an embarrassment as it is to me at the moment," he said.
"If I was told earlier, I wouldn't have done what I'd done, all they [National Party] had to do was just tell me.
"Open, honest, transparent decision making is what it's all about in local and state government, or any committee."
Mr Gallagher said he would focus on his work with local government for Broken Hill City Council.
'Damaging' to National Party branch
Matthew McCarthy resigned from the Broken Hill's National Party vice-chair role during a committee meeting on Wednesday night.
He said "majority" of members from the local group also left.
"There were about nine or 10 of us who basically resigned," Mr McCarthy said.
"It's concerning the way things have been done, it could have been done a lot better but that's probably an understatement," he said.
Mr McCarthy said it looked "damaging" to the local Nationals branch, but it was the position they were put in.
He said it could impact the state electorate of Barwon and the federal electorate of Parkes.
"I'm passionate about this region, which drove me to stay in the Nationals," he said.
"There's still some very competent people in the party, and they can do great things, but it's no longer a place for me."
He said they had another candidate who may step in for the Nationals Broken Hill branch.
Deputy Premier and Leader of the NSW Nationals, Paul Toole, said the Nationals would still be running in the seat of Barwon at the 2023 election.
"The Nats have always fought hard for the communities of Barwon to ensure they get the investment and infrastructure they deserve — and look forward to sharing our vision for how we continue to build a stronger regional NSW," he said.
