The daughter of an Otago Regional councillor who died of cancer earlier this month, has confirmed she will stand for her mother's seat.
Ella Lawton will stand in the Otago Regional Council by-election, for the seat left vacant after her mother's death. Photo: Supplied
Ella Lawton, who is a Queenstown Lakes District councillor, will stand in the by-election for the regional council in the Dunstan constituency.
Her mother, Maggie Lawton, who held the seat, died two weeks ago.
In a statement announcing her candidacy, Dr Lawton said the Dunstan constituency, which included Queenstown and Wanaka, faced challenges balancing the environment with the economy over the next decade.
A sitting regional councillor in the same ward, Michael Laws, backed Dr Lawton's candidacy, saying it was what her mother had wanted.