WA Labor will not contest the Cottesloe by-election triggered by the impending retirement of former Liberal premier Colin Barnett.
ALP state secretary Patrick Gorman said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the administrative committee made the decision after considering the party's priorities for this year.
"While I know we would achieve a strong swing to WA Labor and our members and campaigners would do us proud, the truth is we would not win the seat," Mr Gorman said.
"We have already defeated Colin Barnett in a record-breaking election win in 2017. In this case, I believe that is more than enough.
"We want our members campaigning in key marginal seats for the federal election. That is where our focus must be."
Mr Gorman noted the Liberal party often did not stand candidates in safe Labor seats during by-elections.
Mr Barnett announced in December that he was quitting politics after 27 years in parliament.
WA's second-longest serving post-war premier stayed on in parliament after a landslide election loss in March that ended his Liberal-National government's eight years in power.
But he has continued to publicly comment on certain issues, with some considering him a distraction, especially after he criticised his own second term cabinet, which he described as weaker than his first.
