Mr Lush said he lodged his application just minutes before the deadline yesterday.
He said he had put a huge amount of thought into the decision to stand and was excited about the campaign and learning curve ahead if he was elected.
The 55-year-old has lived in the South for 18 years and said his passion was for developing youth spaces and housing affordability.
"I look at things like the Margaret Mahy playground in Christchurch and I think it's time we updated some of our playgrounds here."
Mr Lush said he would continue with his nationwide show on Newstalk ZB, Marcus Lush Nights, if he was elected.
"I've made this decision with the approval of my bosses.
"I am certainly not running for mayoralty because I already have a fulltime job.
"However during the campaign, I will obviously need to be impartial so will avoid the topic altogether," he said.
Other candidates nominated for the seat are Wade Devine, Tom Downey, Simon Edwards, Bernadine Goldsmith, Wayne Harpur, Carl Heenan, Kevin Mulrooney and David Pottinger.
Deputy Electoral Officer Michael Morris said he was delighted with the high interest in the position.
"I am pleased with the number of people who are willing to take part in local government and want to be part of the city council," Mr Morris said.
Election signs could appear as early as today. Voting opens on January 26 and election day is February 17.
