Three Liberals will contest preselection for the right to take on rebel independent Geoff Shaw in the Victorian seat of Frankston.
Frankston mayor Darrel Taylor, local policeman Michael Lamb and Frankston educated Sean Armistead all nominated to contest the seat, which Mr Shaw won for the Liberals with 52 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in 2010.
Mr Shaw resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party last March and is seen by some as being responsible for the resignations of former Premier Ted Baillieu and Speaker Ken Smith.
Mr Smith had suggested he may contest the seat of Frankston, but announced on Friday he would not.
Premier Denis Napthine had refused to back a contest between Mr Smith and Mr Shaw, saying locals are interested in the seat of Frankston.
Councillor Taylor has been mayor of Frankston since last November after a 16-year career in the army.
Mr Lamb is a police senior sergeant, while Mr Armistead unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of Melbourne at last year's election.
Former state upper house member Donna Petrovich, who resigned last year to contest the federal seat of McEwen, only to be narrowly defeated, was the only nominee for the marginal seat of Macedon, currently held by the ALP.
Robert Davies was the only nominee to take on Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews in the safe ALP seat of Mulgrave.
The election will be held on November 29.
