Comedian Tom Sainsbury - well known for his Snapchat impersonations of Paula Bennett - is running to be the Mayor of Auckland in this year's local elections.
Sainsbury is one of 21 hopefuls listed as candidates for the mayoralty, but a Facebook video released by the comedian on Saturday reveals it is actually his alter-ego Fiona - a wine reviewer - that is in the competition.
- Science or the arts? Impersonator Tom Sainsbury chose Snapchat
- 'Hi sweeties, it's me!' - Paula Bennett takes on comedian impersonator
"I have made a terrible mistake. But I am going to see it through," the comedian said while appearing as Fiona, who was holding a glass of wine.
"On August 1 at 12:01am, dry July had finished, I had been very diligent and only drunk one glass of wine a day."
"To celebrate me getting through dry July, on August 1, I decided to get very drunk on various bubbles and what happened was I was talking with some girlfriends and I decided to run for Mayor in Auckland."
The character explained that it had seemed like a "very good idea at the time" and so she had hired a "campaign manager whose name is Tom Sainsbury".
"He is helping me with the more technical side of things".
But she also expressed some hesitation, believing it was probably a mistake to put her name in the ring with Phil Goff and John Tamihere.
"Was this all a mistake? Yes most likely. But as my alcoholic father used to say, if you are going to do something, do it well, and if you commit to something. you have got to see it through to the end.
"It looks like I am in for the long haul."
Campaign updates should be expected a couple of times a week, the character said.
"Cheers to being Mayor of Auckland," she said after pouring another glass of wine.
Sainsbury's acts became famous during the 2017 election campaign, with his satirical impersonation of National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett his most well known. He also regularly takes on the political party's leader Simon Bridges.
On the draft list of mayoralty candidates, Sainsbury is listed as an independent.
Newshub.
