Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has announced she is no longer running for a second term.
In a statement, Whanau said Andrew Little entering the race had “changed the game”, and she did not want a “Green vs. Labour narrative to distract from what’s important for our city”.
“I have a lot of respect for Andrew and his leadership skills. He has support from many corners and the skills and experience to unite our Council. The progressive goals I have fought for are at risk this election and I do not want a Green vs. Labour narrative to distract from what’s important for our city. That is not what this election should be about.”
She said when she first put her name forward for Mayor, she was “worried there were no viable candidates”.
“Now that has changed, I can now focus on what is important to me.”
Whanau announced she would instead run for the Māori Ward for Wellington City Council.
Whanau had just launched the start of the Golden Mile Courtenay Place precinct upgrade, and she was “proud of the transformative change we have set in motion under my Mayoralty”, and noted some highlights from her time in office.
She also pointed to investment in water infrastructure, construction of 27km of cycleways and passing a housing-intensive District Plan as highlights of her term.
“Change isn’t easy and will always have its critics. But I have stayed true to the vision I was elected to deliver and always been upfront about the challenges we face,” she said.
“We have a strong Green team running for Council this election and I’m excited that together we will continue to deliver progressive and transformational change for Wellington.”
Whanau’s exit means Little will now go up against councillor Ray Chung, Rob Goulden, Kelvin Hastie, Karl Tiefenbacher and Graham Bloxham in putting their names forward.
