Dunedin city councillor Sophie Barker is contemplating a run for mayor in the upcoming October elections. While she hasn't formally declared her candidacy, media outlets have speculated about her potential entry into the race. Barker currently prioritizes completing work on the city's long-term plan, indicating that a decision on her mayoral bid will not be made immediately.
Barker acknowledges significant public support urging her to run for mayor, emphasizing that this support is a key factor in her deliberations. The pressure from constituents is a considerable consideration in her decision-making process.
This would not be Barker's first attempt at the mayoralty. She previously ran in 2022, securing third place behind Jules Radich and Aaron Hawkins.
Her current focus lies on finalizing the city's long-term plan. The considerable workload associated with this project is preventing her from committing to a mayoral campaign in the near future.
Yesterday, opinion pieces from Cr Barker, incumbent Jules Radich and mayoral candidate Andrews Simms appeared in the Sunday Star-Times, as part of a series on local government campaigns ahead of October’s elections.
While Cr Barker had not declared a run for mayor, she was "widely tipped" to join the contest, the paper said.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Cr Barker said her decision was unlikely anytime soon.
"I’m just concentrating on getting the long-term plan work — and that’s a huge amount of work — out of the way, and then we’ll think about elections," she said.
"I’ve got 58 pages of notes from the [long-term plan hearings] to go through, so I’m busy."
Cr Barker said there had been a huge amount of support from people asking her to stand — "that’s my deep consideration, is responding to the call of what people want".
"It might stop them all asking me to run every day. I’m like, ‘I haven’t made my mind up; I haven’t made my mind up. I am busy’."
She said she had been approached by the Sunday Star-Times to write the piece.
Cr Barker previously ran for mayor in 2022, finishing third behind Mr Radich and former mayor Aaron Hawkins.
ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz
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