Transgender lawyer Kelly Ellis has put addressing poverty issues, creating jobs for young people, healthcare and equality issues high on the agenda for her campaign to win the Whangarei electorate for Labour in September's general election.
Ms Ellis was chosen at the weekend by the party as its candidate for the seat that has been held by National MP Phil Heatley for 15 years and by National since 1974.
She describes the past six months campaigning for the nod to fight for the Whangarei seat as a "roller-coaster ride", but it's one that's not over yet, as the campaigning will start all over again in the run-up to the elections in September.
She was "incredibly humbled" by the selection, and while she wouldn't say she was surprised by it, admitted "it could easily have gone another way, and that I might be looking for something to do with myself, and probably somewhere to hide, come Monday morning.
"Rarely am I lost for words, but when they announced that I'd gained the candidacy I choked up a bit.