Former Liberal MP Jason Falinski clear favourite for state presidency.

If he wins the presidency, the former federal Liberal MP will be tasked with turning the party back into an election winning force.

Former federal Liberal MP Jason Falinski has emerged as the frontrunner to become party’s state president. Picture: AAP.

Former federal Liberal MP Jason Falinski has emerged as the frontrunner to be elected as president of the NSW division, with the winner to be tasked with turning the organisation back into an election winning force.

It comes as a rare ballot will determine the Liberal federal executive council next Friday, with expectations controversial vice-president Teena McQueen may be dumped with moderates expected to coalesce behind a yet-to-be determined candidate.

After former president Maria Kovacic resigned to run for the party’s Senate vacancy, the closing of nominations left the contest as a three-horse race between Mr Falinski, legal consultant Philip Argy and Paul Blanch, former speaker Jonathan O’Dea’s chief of staff.

Multiple Liberal powerbrokers confirmed Mr Falinski was the clear favourite ahead of the party’s state council meeting on June 24.

Mr Falinski was contacted for comment.

Mr Falinski lost his once blue ribbon seat, Mackellar, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to independent Sophie Scamps during the 2022 federal election, as simmering resentment against Scott Morrison resulted in six moderate Liberal MPs being dumped from parliament.

The winner of the contest will be third state president in less than a year after former Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock was replaced by Ms Kovacic after the federal election. Liberal sources said there remained little clarity as to who would succeed Chris Stone as state director.

Whoever wins the ballot will be faced with a dysfunctional internal state executive with factional interests undermining the preselection of candidates across the federal and state elections, hamstringing the party’s chances in both instances.

Mr Falinski’s nomination raises questions about his own political aspirations to recontest Mackellar, held by Ms Scamps on a 2.5 per cent margin.

Moderate sources said they expected Mr Falinski’s experience battling the teals had left him clear-eyed about the challenges facing the party, saying he would likely seek to modernise the party’s election campaign structure, ensuring the digital performance and data underpinning the campaigns was brought up to speed.

With nominations closing on Friday afternoon, the usual behind-closed-doors agreements of who is elected to the four VP positions on the federal executive council was shattered as nine candidates raised their hands.

This includes former Wentworth MP Peter King, NSW moderate powerbroker Sally Betts and former WA senator Ben Small. The Australian understands the four roles will be split along gendered lines, rather than state boundaries, with two men and women elected, respectively.

The outspoken Ms McQueen enraged moderates in the wake of the federal election after she hailed the defeat of the party’s “lefties”. Her comments led leading federal moderate Simon Birmingham to call on her to step down.

“If she doesn’t want to support or endorse Liberal candidates or sitting Liberal MPs, then she shouldn’t be sitting around the federal executive table of the Liberal party,” he said in October last year.

“I certainly won’t be supporting her re-election if she contests her position again. Her position is untenable.”

Ms McQueen was contacted for comment.

Party member Edwin Nelson has also challenged president John Olsen, but is using the contest as a platform to advertise his 41-page manifesto for reforming the party’s constitution, ahead of the state council meeting on June 24.