Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says he is all in for the next three years, as he launches his campaign for a second term of the mayoralty.
Brown made the announcement at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland on Wednesday afternoon.
The 78-year-old has been the mayor of the super city since 2022.
Speaking at his campaign launch, Brown said there was still more to do in the city.
"We still manage to waste money at the council and it's CCOs," he said.
Brown said he wanted Aucklanders to bring him back to finish what he started three years ago.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown announcing his re-election campaign. Photo: Calvin Samuel / RNZ
"With experience, leadership, and a deep love for this city, I know what it takes to keep Auckland moving forward," he said.
Brown said he had the right tools to benefit Auckland.
"I'm sure that my political neutrality, and my own unique, friendly style, have helped get councillors to support many of the changes that I've driven..." he said.
"Similarly my neutrality and well known kind, gentle negotiating style have helped in the battle with governments of both major parties to get Auckland to be treated with respect."
Brown told RNZ he invited people from the business sector, the property sector, Māori, Chinese, and Indian sectors, and people from South Auckland businesses to the campaign launch, but no sitting councillors were invited.
Brown said he had not had discussions around who would be his deputy mayor for a second term.
"We don't know who's going to get in," he said.
"There'll be retirements, and so I didn't discuss that until well after I won last time."
Brown was also asked who he was most scared to run against in the upcoming election.
"I hadn't even thought about that to be quite honest... Elon Musk," he said.
Auckland councillor Kerrin Leoni was the only councillor to put her name forward for the city's top job so far and would be running as an independent candidate.
It was also speculated Brown's own deputy Desley Simpson could challenge him for the job after the domain name, "DesleyforMayor.co.nz'' was registered by Desley Simpson's son in December.
She told RNZ last month she had "not yet made a decision about what I intend to do this year".
