A potential star candidate for Labor has turned down an offer to run in a NSW federal seat.
Coles senior executive and former Kevin Rudd adviser Andrew Charlton was approached to contest Dobell for Labor.
But a company spokeswoman said on Tuesday Mr Charlton would be staying with the company "for career and family reasons".
The decision means Labor still hasn't found candidates in four seats, despite the September 7 election campaign being under way.
Dobell is held by former Labor MP Craig Thomson, who resigned from the party in May to contest it as an independent.
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The resignation followed Mr Thomson's 2012 suspension from the ALP over allegations he misused union member funds when he was Health Services Union general secretary from 2002 to 2007.
An ALP spokesman said preselections for Dobell and the seats of Grey (South Australia), Parkes (NSW) and O'Connor (WA) were under way.
The preselections would be held "consistent with the rules of the party in the usual way".
