Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council and Mansfield MP Ben Bradley has been elected by the party to stand as Mayor.
He will be in competition with Claire Ward for Labour and Matthew Relf for Independents.
More candidates may be chosen in time.
Mr Bradley writes on his campaign website:
‘The election of the first Mayor of the East Midlands in May 2024 is a once-in-a-generation chance to change our region for the better.
‘It will come with billions of pounds of new investment in our infrastructure, a chance to create exciting new jobs and opportunities for local people, powers to improve the kinds of skills and qualifications that are on offer here, and the ability to plan much more effectively around how and where we deliver housing.
‘These powers are really important, and many of them are things that our region have really struggled with in the past.
‘The Mayor will be able to build partnerships and create long-term plans in a way that just hasn’t been possible before.
‘A clear strategy, a clear voice for our region, for the first time ever. We have one chance to choose the right person to build this from scratch.’
If he becomes Mayor he can longer lead the county council. Whether or not he’ll stand as an MP in the event of a win is unclear.
•  Ben Bradley: MP and council leader to run for East Midlands mayor
