Mike Gaffney was a teacher and public servant who had been Mayor of Latrobe Council since 2002 and President of the Tasmanian Local Government Association since 2006.

Steve Martin was running primarily on the issue of Mersey Community Hospital, which had passed to Commonwealth control the previous year.

He lost the mayoralty in 2008 but remained a councillor; his defeat was reckoned to have something to do with his support for the Gunns pulp mill.

The Tasmanian Greens endorsed small business owner and maritime scientist Peter Whish-Wilson.

Independent Peter Kaye was a prominent local radio presenter campaigning mainly on increasing funding for Launceston General Hospital.