A campaigner bidding to save Ayr's Station Hotel wants to run for election in May.
Esther Clark is hoping to punch her name on the Labour ticket for the Holyrood vote.
The party has yet to confirm its official candidate for the Ayr seat, being defended by Tory John Scott.
But Mrs Clark, 79, is among those vying for the position.
She confirmed: "I'm choosing to put my name forward because I believe I can make a difference.
"Ayr has been neglected in an awful lot of ways for far too long.
"We don't have a voice at either Holyrood or Westminister and that needs to change."
The former Ayr Academy pupil set up SADSA (South Ayrshire Dementia Support Association) and Ayr Action for Mental Health.
Latterly, she has been a driving force in the establishment of the Station Hotel Community Action Group and Ayr Development Trust.
She said: "Ayr came from very high beginnings and was an amazing town around 30 or 40 years ago.
"In fact, it was probably the best small town in Scotland.
"We still have so much potential but it needs a lot of work.
"I am concerned about communities and that's why I hope to stand and give it my best shot."
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