Tory Whanau is bowing out of Wellington's mayoral race. 

The incumbent's confirmed she'll instead stand for the council's Māori ward seat to give former Labour Leader Andrew Little a clear run. 

She says Little will do a good job, and she hopes people see her withdrawal as a gracious move. 

Whanau told Nick Mills she had to consider what was going to deliver the best outcomes for Wellington, and that meant shifting to running for council. 

She says she’ll still very much be there fighting for Wellington. 

Whanau says that while she does have a few regrets from her term as Mayor, she’s mostly proud of what she’s done.

When asked to rate her performance, she gave herself a high score.  

“If I look back on what I campaigned on, what I said I would deliver to the city, you know, I’d give myself a 9/10.  

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