Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson to be Labor candidate at 2022 state election

Onkaparinga Mayor Erin Thompson has been announced as Labor’s candidate for the seat of Davenport at the 2022 state election.

Onkaparinga Council Mayor Erin Thompson will attempt to move into state politics after being announced as Labor’s candidate for the southern suburbs seat of Davenport.

Ms Thompson said she became a member of the Labor Party in the “past few weeks” but “always had strong Labor values”.

The Happy Valley resident, 39, has already had a taste of the cut and thrust of a state election, having helped campaign for Liberal Badcoe candidate, and former Unley Mayor, Lachlan Clyne ahead of the 2018 poll.

“I was supporting a good friend of mine but I’ve always had strong Labor values,” she said on Monday.

Ms Thompson on Monday acknowledged it was “not going to be easy” to win the safe Liberal seat, currently held by backbencher Steve Murray with a margin of 9.5 per cent.

The Happy Valley resident, 39, said she had “absolutely loved” serving the local community as mayor since she was elected to the top job in November 2018.

“But there are some things that a mayor can’t fix, like record levels of ramping at our local hospital and overcrowded beds; like providing fair work employment opportunities for all South Australians; providing better education; a cleaner environment and fixing our broken health system,” she said.

Ms Thompson said these were the issues she would focus on if elected at the 2022 state election.

Erin Thompson is Labor’s new candidate to run in the seat of Davenport. Picture: Dean Martin

“It’s not going to be easy (to win) but we are going to work so hard,” she said.

Ms Thompson said she would continue in her role as mayor until about a month before the election when she would take unpaid leave from the role to contest the seat.

Deputy mayor Simon McMahon is expected to become acting mayor at this time.

“I’ll be keeping my campaigning very separate to what I do as mayor,” Ms Thompson said.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said Ms Thompson was an “outstanding individual” and her candidacy for the Labor Party was an “absolute coup”.

“There were a lot of challenges that were confronting that council (when Ms Thompson was elected as mayor) and in three short years Erin has been able to turn that around and deliver for the people on the ground; whether it be fortnightly green bin collections; whether it be record low rate increases,” he said.

“Her commitment to the community has translated into tangible benefits and that’s why I asked Erin to run.”

Ms Thompson was a first-time Onkaparinga Council candidate, and a communications officer with Unley Council, when she was elected mayor in 2018.

She replaced Lorraine Rosenberg who was removed from the council after elected members passed a motion of no confidence in her following controversies surrounding spending by council staff.