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Union worker Brenden Sheehan - who was the spokesman for the family of Folole Muliaga after her death last year - is expected to be the Labour Party's candidate in the new East Auckland electorate of Botany.
Mr Sheehan will go up against Pansy Wong, Parliament's only Chinese MP, who was selected as National's candidate for the seat this week.
Mr Sheehan is a Public Service Association union organiser and a family member of Folole Muliaga, who died last year soon after Mercury Energy cut off the power to her home where she was using an oxygen machine.
Her death resulted in stronger guidelines for power companies to apply when cutting off power for unpaid bills and Mr Sheehan was the family spokesman throughout - at one stage accusing police of racism and cultural insensitivity in their dealings with the family.
The Botany seat was created after a boundary redrawing last year and could give Ms Wong her first electorate seat since she entered Parliament as a list MP in 1996.
It has a large Chinese population.
Ms Wong stood in Auckland Central in 2002 and 2005.
Although Botany is considered to be a safe bet for National to win, Mr Sheehan said he hoped to make Ms Wong work for it.
"Given the results in that area in the past it does look to be a National-held seat. But I'm in there to give Pansy a run for her money."
Labour president Mike Williams said last October that the party had also expected to stand a Chinese candidate in the seat or high on the party's list.
However, Mr Sheehan is the only nominee for the seat and is expected to be confirmed this month. He lives in the Mangere electorate, which also has a wide demographic spread.
Mr Sheehan said his role as union organiser meant he was comfortable working with people from a wide range of ethnicities.
