South Australian Liberal Party state director Alex May quits

One of the state’s most senior Liberals has quit, leaving the party searching for a replacement months out from a federal election.

State Liberal Party director Alex May has quit. Picture: Facebook

Another senior Liberal has quit one of the party’s top jobs, with state director Alex May resigning three weeks after leader David Speirs walked away.

Ms May’s departure ahead of federal and state election campaigns intensifies the schism between the party’s moderate and conservative factions.

Her resignation follows the conservative takeover of the party hierarchy being confirmed at the Liberal state annual general meeting on August 24.

It leaves the party with a newly installed state leader, Vincent Tarzia, and searching for a backroom strategic leader months out from a federal election, due early in 2025.

Her departure leaves the key role open for the conservatives, spearheaded by federal members Tony Pasin and Alex Antic, to engineer a replacement aligned to their group.

It is believed their Right ally Alex Hyde, a former Adelaide Deputy Lord Mayor and unsuccessful Liberal candidate in Waite at the 2022 state election, is being discussed as contender to take over on an interim basis

Ms May, whose partner is leading moderate and Sturt MP James Stevens, is understood to have planned to quit some weeks ago after taking the job in June, 2022.

Outgoing state Liberal Party director Alex May and partner, Sturt MP James Stevens. Picture: Facebook

A former deputy chief of staff to Liberal premier Steven Marshall, Ms May succeeded former Robert Hill staffer Sascha Meldrum as state director after state and federal election losses.

In a resignation notice sent to party members, Ms May says she believes the party is “now in a good place to continue building”.

“The time is, therefore, appropriate in the electoral cycle for me to move on, knowing that we are well prepared for the upcoming federal election, whilst giving my successor ample time to implement our federal campaign in SA and prepare and execute a winning strategy for the 2026 state election, due in 18 months time,” she says.

Ms May had experience across the Liberal factions, having also worked for leading Right figures Alexander Downer and Jamie Briggs.

Newly installed state president Leah Blyth, a conservative, says Ms May will depart in “the coming weeks” after a transition to a successor had been put in place.

“The party has benefited from her dedicated and professional service through difficult and challenging times,” Ms Blyth says.

Originally published as South Australian Liberal Party state director Alex May quits