Eva Aariak, who was most recently Nunavut's acting languages commissioner, announced this week she's entering the territorial election race for the Iqaluit East constituency.
Aariak joins a contest to succeed outgoing MLA Ed Picco, who said Monday he would not be seeking a third term in office.
Iqaluit Coun. Glen Williams is the only other person to have publicly announced a bid to run in Iqaluit East in the Oct. 27 election.
Aariak said her experiences as an educator, languages commissioner, private business owner and longtime civil servant make her a strong candidate.
As well, she said she wants to get involved in issues dealing with healthy living, such as mental health.
"We don't have a crisis management set up here, or a crisis intervention system and things like that," Aariak told CBC News on Tuesday.
Aariak said her priority issues will include youth, training, education and sustainable living.
Originally from Arctic Bay, Aariak has raised four children in Iqaluit over the past 22 years.
Able to speak in both English and Inuktitut, Aariak was Nunavut's languages commissioner from 1999 to 2004. She returned to the post in an acting capacity following the resignation of Johnny Kusugak in December 2007.
At the time of her re-appointment, Aariak said she would stay on as languages commissioner until the legislative assembly passed both of its proposed language bills.
MLAs passed both bills within the past three months, including the Inuit Language Protection Act, which was signed into law before the assembly dissolved on Thursday.
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Nunavut Votes 2008 »
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- Nunavut's new premier-elect said she plans to get to work right away with her fellow MLAs to move the northern territory ahead over the next four years.
- Eva Aariak topples incumbent to become Nunavut's 2nd premier
- First-time member of the legislative assembly Eva Aariak defeated incumbent Paul Okalik to become Nunavut's second premier Friday, and the northern territory's first female premier.
- Nunavut MLAs get ready to pick premier, cabinet
- As members of Nunavut's third legislative assembly prepare to decide who will lead the territory for the next four years, rumours and intense lobbying abound in the contest for the top job.
- Akulliq byelection scheduled for Dec. 15
- People living in Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk, Nunavut, will finally choose their MLA next month, after a court challenge cancelled the voting there in last month's territorial election.
- Nunavut MLAs to choose premier, cabinet next week
- Nunavut's newly elected politicians will select the territory's premier, speaker, and most of its cabinet ministers in a leadership forum scheduled for Nov. 14.
