When contacted by the Otago Daily Times yesterday, the district's highest-polling candidate in Saturday's election, Cath Gilmour, of Queenstown, said: ''I would be interested in that job. Definitely.''
Two Wanaka ward councillors - incumbent deputy mayor Lyal Cocks and new councillor Calum MacLeod - have already publicly signalled their interest.
The decision belongs to Mayor Vanessa van Uden, who is expected to make an announcement tomorrow. Ms Gilmour said she was encouraged by Mrs van Uden's comment to the ODT on Monday that in choosing a deputy mayor she would ''give fair consideration to everybody and you are looking for the best person to do the job, to be honest''.
When announcing Mr Cocks as deputy mayor in 2010, Mrs van Uden said it was tradition the job went to the highest-polling Wanaka candidate.
On Saturday, Mr MacLeod topped the poll.
Ms Gilmour said the two things that might make it difficult for Mrs van Uden to appoint her were that she was a woman and from Queenstown.
''Politically she might find that difficult.''
She thought ''some guys'' might find it hard having women as mayor and deputy mayor.
''And the fact that I'm from Queenstown and there is already a bit of angst in the Wanaka community does [work] against it.
''On the other hand, I was the highest-polling incumbent across both districts by quite a margin.''
''That does give me some credibility - as a competent councillor and as a councillor that has been given a mandate by the community.''
A political tussle also looms over leadership of the Wanaka Community Board.
Two, possibly three, of the four candidates elected to the board are planning to put themselves forward as chairman.
First-time board members Rachel Brown and Ross McRobie confirmed yesterday they want the job, and re-elected board member Bryan Lloyd said he was considering putting his name forward but had not yet made a decision.
Mr Lloyd was deputy chairman of the board in the previous term.
Only re-elected board member Mike O'Connor is definitely not interested and said yesterday he would be backing Mr McRobie.
Previous board chairman Mr Cocks is ''stepping aside'' after serving two terms.
Mr Cocks said he was ''pretty busy doing other things'' and it would be good for a new board to have a new chairman.
Ms Brown was the top-polling board candidate in Saturday's election with 2158 votes, followed by Ross McRobie (2149), Bryan Lloyd (2090) and Mike O'Connor (2066).
Barry Bruce (1826) was the only candidate not elected.
Who will chair the board will be decided by a vote of members taken at the board's first meeting.
A date for the meeting has not been finalised.
Mrs van Uden is due to visit Wanaka this morning to meet the three Wanaka councillors and the members of the community board.
