Glenorchy deputy mayor Russell Yaxley will run for mayor, two years after losing the 2024 mayoral by-election to Sue Hickey.
Yaxley announced his tilt at the top job in a social media post.
He said he was the “best person” to lead the city through what comes next.
“I have the energy, drive and experience. I live here, this isn’t just a job to me, it’s personal,” he said.
It is Yaxley’s second attempt at the mayoralty. He lost the 2024 Glenorchy by-election to Hickey, who won 55.39% of the final vote to his 44.61%.
Yaxley was first elected to the council at a by-election in 2021 and has been deputy mayor since July 2024.
In his post, Yaxley said the city had gone without for too long.
“For too long we haven’t had our fair share, the respect, the investment, the funding,” he said.
He said he would push state and federal governments for a new aquatic centre, complete the Tolosa Park renewal and build a path along Humphreys Rivulet from the CBD to Tolosa Park.
Yaxley said he would also deliver cleaner, safer streets and rewrite the city’s decade-old community plan by listening to residents.
“The best ideas won’t come from me, they’ll come from the people who live here,” he said.
“I know what I’m taking on. If the community decides someone else should lead, I’ll respect that. But I’d never forgive myself for sitting back and staying quiet.”
It is not yet clear who else will contest the mayoralty.
Hickey has not said whether she will recontest, but her future has been the subject of speculation on the Poll Position podcast.
Hosts Brad Stansfield and Alex Johnston discussed whether she could return to the Hobart mayoralty, a role she held from 2014 to 2018.
They described the suggestion as an unconfirmed “whisper” from the “rumour mill”. Hickey has not commented publicly on whether she will run again.
The next local government elections are due in October.
