Tauranga's new Labour candidate will be beating the streets in an attempt to bring a higher presence into the staunchly conservative electorate.
Rachel Jones was appointed the Tauranga candidate at a party meeting on Saturday and will be relocating to the region in January from Cambridge.
Dr Jones is planning on starting the campaign trail early and will be spending the first few weeks in her new role door knocking, visiting local events and meeting non-government organisations.
"I want to connect with all the community groups and make Labour more visible," Dr Jones said. "If you're concerned about asset sales, poverty and slipping education standards then we want to hear from you.
"We're going to focus on connecting Labour's values and issues that matter to New Zealanders. It will be a challenge but we are prepared to fight the fight."