Soraya Peke-Mason, the Labour candidate for the vast Rangitīkei electorate, has a strong local government and business background and deep ties to the area.
"I come from an ancestry that can be traced back to the early 1800s in the electorate," she said.
From Rātana, Peke-Mason has spent 18 years on the Rangitīkei District Council, 12 as an elected councillor, and six years on the community board before that.
Her business background includes construction, tourism, forestry and honey.