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First-term Labour councillor John Hinchcliff has broken ranks with his City Vision-Labour colleagues by challenging Dick Hubbard for the Auckland City mayoralty.
Dr Hinchcliff said yesterday that Mr Hubbard was vulnerable.
The councillor said his 20 years as head of the Auckland University of Technology gave him the confidence and skills to run for the country's biggest job in local government.
The 67-year-old philosopher and organic farmer said he was in the "exploratory phase" and reserved the right to withdraw "if I'm not getting any traction".
Mr Hubbard was surprised when Dr Hinchcliff told him of his plans about two weeks ago but did not regard him as a serious threat.
He said Dr Hinchcliff had had some big problems in the past couple of years, including Selwyn College going through a meltdown phase under his chairmanship of the board of trustees and a record of abstaining on difficult issues on council.
"If you are standing for mayor it is an abdication of your political responsibility if you just abstain on issues that are too difficult," said Mr Hubbard.
City Vision leader Bruce Hucker refused to discuss Dr Hinchcliff's plans to break ranks with City Vision-Labour's decision not to stand a mayoral candidate, not to mention leapfrogging the deputy mayor for a run at the top job at Auckland City.
"I'm supportive of Dick Hubbard as mayor," Dr Hucker said.
Dr Hinchcliff refused to discuss the reaction of his colleagues to his plans, which could see him being dumped as a Labour candidate if he chooses to stand also as a councillor in the Tamaki-Maungakiekie ward.
He acknowledged there was a risk he could split the centre-left vote to the benefit of a centre-right challenger such as former mayor John Banks.
Mr Banks plans to announce next month if he will stand for election. The only other candidate is Steve Crow, who threw the council and city into a tiff last August with his Boobs on Bikes parade down Queen St.
