Three-term Dunedin city councillor Marie Laufiso said she had been frequently asked to run for mayor during her time on the council but had declined until now.
"Lots of things have happened in the intervening three years and I just wanted to offer people from my communities and networks a choice."
She wanted to serve all of the city while taking into account the needs and priorities of people even if they did not vote.
It would also be good to have a "Brockville-raised mayor", she said.
She was standing under the "Building Kotahitaka" — building togetherness — ticket along with council candidates Cyndee Elder and Anna Knight.
The whole city needed to pull together — not just those with "access and privileges".
Her priorities included advocating for the interests of Dunedin’s most vulnerable and at-risk communities and families.
If these groups were taken care of, "then the whole city, in my opinion, is going to be in good stead for the coming crises", she said.
"The problem is, as far as I can see, is that we are on the verge of total financial and environmental collapse.
"And I think too many of us may be comfortable with the status quo.
"I'm interested in out-of-the-box solutions and approaches."
Cr Laufiso was the first Pasifika elected representative in the city’s history.
She was the fourth most popular council candidate in the 2022 local body elections, endorsed then by the Green Party.
She announced in July last year she had resigned from the party, along with Pasifika Greens Alofa Aiono and Vasemaca Tavola, because of its alleged mistreatment of now former MP Darleen Tana.
There are a total of 16 mayoral candidates in this year’s local body election.
