Premier Steven Marshall’s chief of staff James Stevens resigns to contest Pyne seat of Sturt

Premier Steven Marshall’s chief of staff James Stevens has wasted no time in putting his hand up to replace Christopher Pyne in the federal seat of Sturt.

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South Australian Premier Steven Marshall’s chief of staff, James Stevens, has wasted no time in putting his hand up to replace Christopher Pyne in the federal seat of Sturt.

Mr Stevens submitted his resignation to Mr Marshall on Sunday.

It follows Defence Minister Christopher Pyne announcing on Saturday that he would quit at the federal election in May.

“I have made the decision to contest (the seat of Sturt),” Mr Stevens said in a resignation letter to Mr Marshall.

“It would be negligent of me and against the best interests of your government for me to continue in my current role having now made that decision.”

James Stevens’ resignation letter. Picture: James Stevens / Twitter

The Liberal Party secured a 5.8 per cent margin when Mr Pyne held the seat at the last federal election.

Mr Stevens said that his decision to contest the seat meant he could no longer exclusively focus on supporting Mr Marshall.

“I remain absolutely dedicated to the interests of the Marshall liberal government,” he said.

Liberal preselection for the seat is expected on the weekend of 23-24 March.

While Mr Stevens is highly regarded and likely to be a frontrunner, some in the party are pushing for a woman to replace Mr Pyne.

The Member for Barker, Tony Pasin, said Sturt represented a “gilt-edged opportunity for the strong, articulate women in the Liberal Party” to nominate.