Liberal political operator Brad Stansfield has announced he will seek Senate preselection for the next federal election, declaring he’s “genuinely worried about the future of the Liberal Party” and “genuinely worried about the future of the country”.
Stansfield made the announcement on his podcast Poll Position, saying he’d decided to ‘throw his hat into the ring’.
He said party rules prevented him from commenting further on his nomination.
The move comes as sitting Tasmanian Senator Wendy Askew has confirmed she will not seek re-election, a decision understood to be for family reasons.
The Liberal Party have opened nominations for Senate preselection, with the process closing on July 2.
Stansfield has prepared a brochure to support his bid, featuring endorsements from three Tasmanian premiers – current Premier Jeremy Rockliff, former Premier Will Hodgman and former Premier Peter Gutwein.
Peta Credlin, former chief of staff to ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott and recently elected Liberal Party president, also provided a testimonial.
Stansfield has deep roots in Liberal politics, having worked for former Senator Eric Abetz, now Tasmanian treasurer, for nearly seven years.
He also served as chief of staff to Hodgman for eight years.
The father of four was a partner in the former public relations company Font and is now the owner and managing director of polling firm EMRS.
Senator Jonno Duniam held the number one spot on the 2022 Senate ticket and Stansfield may face competition for the ticket from other potential nominees.
A group of 67 Liberal Party members from across Tasmania will ultimately decide who runs on the party’s Senate ticket, with the preselection process expected to take six to eight weeks.
The next federal election is set to be held in 2028.
