A former Christchurch community board member who spent nearly a decade working in the domestic violence sector has entered the race for the Christchurch East electorate under the National Party banner, conceding it is a tough seat to crack but arguing she is exactly the kind of candidate the east needs.

Alexandra Davids, who served three terms on the Linwood/Central/Heathcote Community Board and chaired the community board executive committee for Local Government New Zealand, said her years on the front lines of family violence work were the catalyst for wanting a seat at the central government table.

“I spent close to nine years working with Women’s Refuge and Aviva, listening to a lot of people’s stories,” she told Chris Lynch News. “I realised it is a huge issue in our country and we can do a lot better to help support those who are in need.”

It was through that work, she says, that she began to see the limits of what could be achieved without the levers of central government. Local advocacy, community boards and sector organisations could only go so far. Real and lasting change, she said, required a voice in Parliament.

Christchurch East has long been a Labour stronghold and Davids is under no illusion about the challenge ahead.

But she believes her background sets her apart from the typical National candidate the electorate has seen in the past, and she is betting that difference will resonate.

“I grew up in Christchurch East, I’ve done a lot of advocacy within that space, and I feel I can bring a different vibe to perhaps the classical typical National Party candidate,” she said. “I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. I’m that person who will go out and pick up rubbish, be there to answer questions, and advocate for the community through thick and thin.”

Her nine years in local government gave her more than just name recognition in the east. Chairing the community board executive committee for Local Government New Zealand brought her into contact with governance challenges and policy thinking from across the country, an experience she says has sharpened her understanding of what good decision making at a national level actually looks like.

“I feel very fortunate to have had those experiences at a wider level,” she said. “I believe I can bring a lot of governance experience to the role.”

Davids pointed to the cost of living as the defining issue facing people in the east right now, describing it as a pressure that cuts across every income level and demographic in a way few other issues do.

“Whether you are from a low socioeconomic or high socioeconomic background, the cost of living is affecting us all,” she said. “With what National has been doing to try and help that, whilst being financially responsible, I believe that is the best place for me to be sitting currently.”

She acknowledged that global events had added further complexity to an already difficult economic picture, but said she believed the direction of travel under the current government was the right one, even if there was always more that could be done.

Away from politics, Davids has moved into a new professional chapter, taking on a regulatory compliance role with a medicinal cannabis company. She describes the industry as being in its infancy and says her background as a resource management hearings commissioner has given her a useful grounding in navigating the red tape that comes with a heavily regulated sector.

“It is a whole new world for me,” she said with a laugh. “But it is an exciting opportunity to help shape something that is there to help people and to help shape the future of New Zealand.”

The response from family, friends and some unexpected quarters has been swift and encouraging, she said. Support has come from people she did not anticipate, a sign, she hopes, that her candidacy is connecting beyond the usual political circles.

“I think for the fact that I am perhaps a different candidate to what National has seen within the east, that is a bit different for people,” she said.

When pressed on what exactly makes her different, Davids was candid. A younger woman with deep roots in the social sector, someone whose values align with the National Party but whose daily reality has always been shaped by the community around her rather than the boardroom above it.

“I hope that people can see that as a positive thing for the east,” she said. “I am going to be there to help advocate for them through thick and thin.”