She previously stood as a candidate for Parliament, serving briefly as deputy leader of the small Christian Heritage Party.
In the early 1990s she was in business in Rotorua and was a member of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for one term.
[2] She was a contentious chief executive bringing embarrassment to the organisation after attending the premiere of a strip club in central Wellington[3] causing staff to lose faith in her judgment [4] In 2001, she made a high-profile bid for the mayoralty of Wellington; however, after a weak performance at a candidates' meeting and a perceived failure to articulate policies and vision for the city, her support tapered off and she eventually placed sixth.
[1] Shortly before the 2002 elections, it was announced that Raukawa-Tait would be standing as a candidate for the Christian Heritage Party.
After a protracted dispute, Raukawa-Tait and the entire Wairarapa Electorate Committee resigned from the party, citing "the lack of financial accountability" and "un-Christian threats and intimidation".
[12] In the 2023 election, Raukawa-Tait is contesting the Rotorua electorate for the party, which has since been renamed to Te Pāti Māori.