Five Auckland councillors will be running in this year's local elections, one has ruled it out and others are keeping tight-lipped.  

Newstalk ZB asked every sitting councillor what their plans were for this year.  

Maurice Williamson, Julie Fairey, Andy Baker, Shane Henderson and Ken Turner are all having a go.  
Mike Lee said he’s yet to make a decision.  

John Watson, Wayne Walker, Christine Fletcher, Sharon Stewart, Lotu Fuli, Alf Filipaina, Daniel Newman,

Josephine Bartley, Chris Darby, Richard Hills and Greg Sayers didn’t respond before the deadline.  

Deputy Mayor and Orakei ward councillor Desley Simpson said she still hadn’t decided whether she would run in her ward again or for the Mayoralty.  

“I’ve made no decision as yet but expect to soon”  

Speculation is swirling about a possible run after the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance revealed the domain “Desleyformayor.co.nz” was registered by her son last year.  

Simpson told the Herald it was registered “as a bit of a laugh”.  

Whau ward councillor Kerrin Leoni is running for Mayor, she wants to be the first female and Māori mayor of the Super City.  

She said she’d be keen to bring a different style of leadership.   

“Aucklanders have asked to have someone that’s younger, a bit more vibrant, a bit more grassroots and out in the community more often.”  

Mayor Wayne Brown has confirmed he's seeking a second term asking Aucklanders to “back me to finish the job”.

Manurewa-Papakura ward Councillor Angela Dalton is the only councillor who has ruled out a run.  

Dalton has served two terms in her council seat after almost a decade of serving on the Manurewa-Papakura Local Board.  

She said it was a tough decision, but she was convinced it was the right one.  

“You’ve got to know when it’s time to go, and let other people come through,”  

Dalton said she would like to see a lot more ethnic, gender and age diversity around the council table.  

She said her advice to the next generation of candidates was to “just have a go”.   
Dalton said people didn’t need to have a particular background or skill set to run for council.  

“You just have to believe in yourself and your community and have to have aspirations for the people you’re representing.”  

Candidate nominations for the 2025 Local Elections open July 4th and close August 1st.