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John Banks has given the strongest hint yet that he will stand for the mayoralty of Auckland. But a mystery candidate - or current councillor - could yet split the high-profile right-winger's vote.
Former mayor Banks, pornographer Steve Crow and ex-Winz chief executive Christine Rankin are among the candidates to challenge incumbent Dick Hubbard in October's poll.
Dr John Hinchcliff, a first-term councillor and former vice-chancellor of AUT, is another left-leaning politician interested in the job.
He said: "The field is open and I'm just testing the water. I'm not planning to make any decision on running for a few weeks yet."
Matt McCarten, former Alliance party member and 2001 mayoral candidate, said he had been approached by another "reasonably" high-profile left-wing candidate for advice on a potential campaign.
"I don't want to betray their confidence, but they haven't been mentioned in the media yet. There are whisperings from the centre-left that they want to run. If they do, the mayoral campaign will be a real dog's breakfast."
McCarten said Crow's challenge would split the vote and help Hubbard's chances of re-election, as Banks, Crow and Rankin were all right of centre.
Hubbard has stated his intention to stand for re-election.
He said it was too early to say whether he would benefit from vote splitting. "It can invoke the law of unintended consequences and the wrong candidate can get in office."
Former Prime Minister Mike Moore, Auckland Chamber of Commerce chair Michael Barnett and Labour Minister Judith Tizard have been floated as contenders.
Rankin, director of the charity For the Sake of our Children, sidestepped questions about her intentions for a mayoral move, which would reunite her with ex-husband David Rankin, the council's chief executive.
"I will be making some kind of announcement sometime in the future. This is something we're not going to talk about today."
Banks was doorknocking in Hillsborough when the Herald on Sunday called. He said he was encouraged by the support of people he had been talking to. He was ousted as mayor in 2004 but expected to make a decision "in the next eight weeks" on whether to run again.
"I want to keep the focus on the current mayor and council," he said. "This is the most disastrous city council in Auckland's history.
"It jerks from one crisis to another. I'm not going to suggest everyone wants me to return, but a huge majority don't want this mayor - or this council."
He believed people who would not vote for him would turn instead to Crow "in droves". Newmarket Business Association head Cameron Brewer said Crow was getting solid advice on a campaign to "ram it home to the incumbent".
However, he believed Crow's tilt would help Banks rather than Hubbard.
