Newcastle councillor Kath Elliott will run in the December election as the Newcastle Independents' lead Ward 4 candidate.
Cr Elliott has represented Ward 2 this term but now resides in Ward 4, which has suburbs including Wallsend, Maryland and Beresfield.
She replaces Cr Allan Robinson who parted ways with the Newcastle Independents in July.
"I live and work in Ward 4, as do my daughters and their families," she said.
"It is the home of many hard-working families, and they need to have a representative who is focused on their needs.
"We desperately need an upgrade to Minmi Road and people who need to use it every day deserve to enjoy the benefits of faster commute times."
Merewether resident and business owner PJ Fallon moves up the Newcastle Independents' ticket in Ward 2.
The Labor councillors said Cr Elliott's switch "appears focused" on securing preferences from Cr Robinson, who was recently censured for offensive comments about other councillors.
Labor also said Cr Elliott had previously voted against Ward 4 upgrades, but she said she had voted against budgets which included proposed works and she supported the projects in their own right.
She is undecided about a preference deal.
