Renegade Liberal MP’s wife, Katherine McBride, challenges party stalwart Tony Pasin in blue-ribbon regional seat of Barker

The wife of a renegade state Liberal MP is aiming to enter politics – and has the party’s safest federal seat in her sights.

The wife of a renegade state Liberal MP will fight to become the party’s politician representing its safest federal seat.

Katherine McBride, 51, has nominated for preselection for the regional SA seat of Barker, currently held by Liberal MP, and Conservative faction powerbroker, Tony Pasin, 45.

Mrs McBride, a mother of two and a Millicent nurse, has been married for 28 years to Nick McBride, a grazier, who is the state Liberal MP for the SE seat of MacKillop

She said she was nominating because the “fire in her belly is strong” and wanted give local voters an “alternative option”.

She declined to comment further.

Katherine McBride with her Liberal MP husband Nick. Mrs McBride has announced she will contest the SE federal seat of Barker against sitting MP Tony Pasin. Picture: supplied

But party sources said Mr Pasin was favoured to win preselection after he was elected for the fourth time last year with a 16.6 per cent margin following a 2.3 per cent swing to Labor.

It is understood Mr Pasin had almost 120 local member signatures on his nomination form. A requirement is four.

Mr Pasin also declined to comment and referred inquiries to the party’s executive.

Nominations closed at 5pm on Monday.

The seat, which stretches from parts of the Barossa Valley, the Riverland, Coorong, and South East, is one of three federal seats the federal Liberals hold in SA.

Liberal chiefs will screen candidates before a member vote on a date to be set. It is an usually early preselection before the next federal poll.

When announcing the opening of nominations 10 days ago, state president, Rowan Mumford said the party’s election review found timing of preselections “is a critical success factor”.

“That’s why we’re not wasting any time confirming candidates for the next federal election,” he said.

“Given a federal election could be held as soon as August next year, the State Executive has resolved to open nominations at this early stage to ensure we are best placed as a team to take the fight to the Albanese Government.”

Tony Pasin and Australian and New Zealand ICON Cancer Centre Chief, Executive Paul Fenton hold community forum to bring radiation treatment to Mount Gambier. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Mr McBride has been forced to publicly pledge his party commitment after several outspoken attacks on the Liberals.

The party suffered a crushing loss after voters in Melbourne’s outer-eastern suburbs delivered a history-making rejection of the Liberals.

The formerly blue-ribbon seat of Aston in Melbourne turned red on Saturday night – the first time in more than a century a government has won a seat from the opposition at a by-election.

The party is also careering towards yet another damaging gender row over claims of attempts to knock its most senior female MP, Senator Anne Ruston, from federal parliament.