Lawyer David Colovic wins Liberal preselection for federal seat of Adelaide, held by Labor’s Kate Ellis

ONE of the state’s leading lawyers, and a father of five, has won Liberal Party preselection for the key federal election battleground of Adelaide.

ONE of the state’s leading lawyers and a father-of-five has won Liberal Party preselection for a key federal election battleground.

Insolvency litigator David Colovic, 50, will oppose Kate Ellis, 38, Labor’s high-profile member for Adelaide, in a tough three-way contest with the Nick Xenophon Team.

Mr Colovic, a HWL Ebsworth Lawyers partner with 25 years’ experience, was the frontrunner in a field of six candidates, including Adelaide City Council Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad, 39.

The critical 75sq km seat, taking in the CBD and inner suburbs including Ashford, Parkside, Norwood, Prospect and Enfield, is held by Ms Ellis with a 3.9 per cent margin.

Senior party sources said Mr Colovic won preselection with a humorous and highly personal pitch, detailing career success, family values and life as the son of European immigrants.

While being close to Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, Mr Colovic had support across the factions and was a respected party member for 20 years, sources said.

After two hours of candidate speeches and questions from 400 members at Norwood Town Hall on Saturday, Mr Colovic beat Mr Abiad by 14 votes after preferences.

Member for Adelaide and shadow education minister Kate Ellis visits a Sydney primary school last month.

Mr Colovic, of Fitzroy, is a governing council member of St Peter’s College, where he attended before graduating from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities.

He has been married to Royal Adelaide Hospital radiographer, Dr Meredith Thomas, 52, for 23 years and has five children — Henry, 21, Angus, 18, Sam, 16, Charlie, 15, and Emma, 13.

He declined to answer questions after the vote, which was held behind closed doors, but said he was “honoured and humbled to have been chosen … for this critical seat”.

“Adelaide needs a strong representation in Canberra,’’ he said.

“I look forward to ... advocate strongly for Adelaide and South Australia.”

He told the meeting, attended by senior MPs including state leader Steven Marshall and Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham, how the party needed to better connect with voters and he had already secured a $300,000 fundraising pledge.

Despite recent weight loss, sources said he joked about his large shape and earned laughs when he told how his son believed Stobie polls would need to be “three times wider” to fit his election posters.

“That son no longer lives at home,” he told the crowd to more roars of laughter.

Former television newsreader and public relations expert, Georgina McGuinness, 49, has agreed to join his team.

State party president, Steve Murray, last night said he was an “outstanding Liberal candidate” while Mr Pyne added: “(He is) strong candidate who will be highly competitive.”

Ms Ellis said issues such as cuts to education and increasing the GST were “what matter to me, not the face they put on their flyers”.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has hinted a poll could occur in September.