Jocelyn Curteanu has become the most recent city councillor to declare her intentions to seek a seat in the legislature.

Curteanu announced early Thursday evening she will seek the Liberal nomination in her home riding of Copperbelt South in the upcoming territorial election, which has to occur by October.

The riding is currently represented by NDP MLA Lois Moorcroft, who is seeking re-election.

Meanwhile, Riverdale-North MLA Scott Kent, also the minister of Highways and Public Works, has announced plans to seek re-election in the Copperbelt South riding. He and his family are moving to the Marsh Lake area in the riding.

Before the election happens though, the Liberals will host a nomination vote there, with Rose Sellers having also announced her intentions to seek the party’s nomination.

Curteanu’s announcement comes just seven months after she was returned to chambers for a second term in the October 2015 municipal election.

She earned the most votes of the council candidates, with 2,662 voters marking their ballots in Curteanu’s favour.

The next councillor to earn a seat was nearly 200 votes behind her – Betty Irwin, with 2,457.

As Curteanu explained Thursday evening, she now wants to the opportunity to serve the public in a more full-time role that would encompass her community and the territory as a whole.

Addressing approximately 50 supporters who turned out to hear her at the Wolf Creek Campground, Curteanu reflected on what she has learned in her municipal role.

“As a city councillor, I learned very quickly how important it is to work with other orders of government, community partners and stakeholders to deliver services to our citizens efficiently, effectively and economically,” she said.

“If elected (territorially), I look forward to engaging our citizens on an ongoing basis so that we can carry out a citizen-centred approach to governance where Yukoners of all political stripes can work cooperatively and collaboratively for Yukon.”

She said she opted to seek the nomination under the Liberal banner because the party is willing to work with everyone, regardless of political leanings and ideologies.

As for the riding, it’s home.

In 2004, she and her family (who stood by her side during the announcement) rented a house in Cowley Creek and immediately fell in love with the area.

Her work with the Canada Revenue Agency saw the family relocated to Alberta in 2006.

After returning to the territory in 2011, they were determined to purchase a home specifically in the area despite the tight real estate market at the time.

The entire riding encompasses the areas off the Alaska Highway from south of the Mount Sima Road to just past the Carcross Cutoff.

“Now is my chance to potentially represent the residents whom we are so fortunate to call our friends and neighbours and serve Yukoners as a whole,” Curteanu said.

Noting her love for the area, Curteanu pointed out it “has the best of both worlds” with the conveniences of being close to Whitehorse services while also offering a quiet country residential setting.

Looking around the campground, she was quick to note it’s where many come to “get away from it all.

“This is our neighbourhood, this is our backyard,” she said.

She plans to consult with constituents in the riding on territorial matters – what needs to be improved as well as what’s already working adequately.

“We don’t want to change anything that’s working well,” she told reporters after the meeting.

She said it was only a couple of months ago she had decided she would put her name forward.

When she ran for council last October, she said, she had not yet made up her mind about running territorially.

“The one thing I don’t want to do is stop serving the community,” she said, acknowledging the possibility she may not win.

If that’s the case, she said she wants to remain on council serving the community in that capacity.

When she informed her fellow council members she was hoping to contest a territorial seat, she was pleased they expressed their support.

“They know I love (the work),” Curteanu said, again emphasizing her desire to make it a full-time job.

Two former councillors also seeking Liberal nominations were on hand for Curteanu’s announcement.

Mike Gladish is seeking the nomination for the riding of Mountainview while Ranj Pillai is doing so in Porter Creek South.

Former councillor John Streicker is also running under the Liberal banner, having secured the party’s nomination for Mount Lorne-Southern Lakes.

Also on-hand at yesterday’s announcement was Mayor Dan Curtis who had run, but was defeated, in Riverdale South under the party’s banner in the 2011 territorial election.

Curtis described Curteanu’s decision to seek the nomination and run territorially as a “win-win,” stating the territory would be fortunate to have her as an MLA.

By the same token though, if she’s not successful, it means the city continues to benefit from her work on council, the mayor said.

“We’ve been lucky to have councillor Curteanu,” he said.

Under the territory’s Municipal Act, city council members are not required to step aside from their municipal responsibilities if they are seeking territorial office.

It is only when they win a seat that they must relinquish their position on council.

If Curteanu wins and vacates her council seat, it would prompt a byelection.

Those must be held no sooner than 30 days after a council seat is vacated and no more than 45 days after.

The only exception is if a seat is vacated after Feb. 1 in a municipal election year, in which case council could opt to leave the seat empty until the general election.

With the next municipal election not until 2018, a byelection would have to be held in this case should Curteanu win.