Fiona Kotvojs Wins NSW Liberal Eden-Monaro Preselection

Fiona Kotvojs Wins NSW Liberal Eden-Monaro Preselection
Placards line the fence outside Oatley Primary School in Sydney, Australia, on March 23, 2019. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
AAP
By AAP
5/23/2020
Updated:
5/23/2020

Fiona Kotvojs has decisively won a vote of Liberal Party members in the contest to become the party’s candidate for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro.

Kotvojs, a former teacher, scientist and small business operator from Dignams Creek, won preselection on May 23 over defence department official Mark Schweikert.

It means she will become the Liberal candidate in the upcoming Eden-Monaro by-election, subject to party endorsement.

The Eden-Monaro seat was left vacant after the retirement of Labor MP Mike Kelly, who narrowly beat Kotvojs in the 2019 election.

Labor has preselected former Bega mayor Kristy McBain, who has been on the campaign trail since earlier this month.

Nationals leader Michael McCormack, meanwhile, has said his party has not yet given up on running a candidate in the by-election.

A date for the by-election has not been set, but is expected in late June or early July.

By-elections on average swing against the government of the day by just over three percent.

By Jodie Stephens in Sydney