The daughter of ex-Labour politician David Stewart is standing for election at Highland Council.
Kirsty Stewart, 29, said she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her dad David.
He was one of a small band of Scottish politicians to have served as a councillor, MP and MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
The leisure industry businesswoman said: “I grew up around politics with my dad getting in to Westminster when I was four.
“I spent many hours as a kid leafleting and stuffing envelopes which was enough to thoroughly put me off the idea of being a politician.
“But as I got older though, I saw the impact that both of my parents had on people’s lives.”
Kirsty’s mum Linda has stood for Labour in the Scottish Parliament and formerly chaired the Labour Party.
Kirsty Stewart is standing for Labour
She said one of the reasons she was standing for Highland Council election was to be a voice for younger people.
She added: “A lot of people in my generation and younger are pretty disillusioned with politics but we’re the ones heavily affected by issues such as housing, employment and education.
“We need people with relevant and recent experience with these topics at every level of government to get our voices heard too.
“I want to make sure that every person in our community knows that they have an advocate and that my job is to help them.”
Kirsty will stand in the Cromarty Firth ward.
Dad is delighted with decision
David, 65, who retired last May, said: “I was obviously not thinking that I would be straight back into another campaign quite so quickly.
“But I’m delighted that Kirsty has decided to stand.
“It means I’ve now got a very good use for the hundreds of Vote Stewart posters that are stored in my garage.
“Joking aside,” he added, “Kirsty has been Labour member for many years and has been immersed in politics through both my wife Linda and I.”
David became the first Labour MP to represent the previous constituency of Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber in 1997.
He went on to double his majority in 2001 before losing his seat to Lib-Dem Danny Alexander in 2005.
In 2007 he re-entered politics as a Highlands and Islands Labour MSP on the regional list, and was elected for two more terms.
Hitting the books
He is now writing a newspaper column and doing an MSc in Politics at the University of Edinburgh, researching the history of the Highland and Islands Medical Service.
