Nick Xenophon is on track to win a seat in the South Australian parliament at next year's state election, based on the results of a new opinion poll.
The Advertiser-Galaxy poll found the senator would win 53 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in Hartley to depose sitting Liberal Vincent Tarzia.
It gave Senator Xenophon 35 per cent of the primary vote but he surged ahead on preferences.
The popular politician announced last week his intention to quit the federal parliament to return to SA politics after 10 years in the upper house in Canberra.
He previously served 10 years in the upper house of the SA parliament.
Senator Xenophon said winning Hartley would be "like climbing Everest without oxygen" and he was expecting the "toughest political fight of my life".
"But I'm up for that challenge because I love our state, our people and I believe that if you are in politics, you should be there to make a difference," he said.
"For my part, it will be a do or die effort."
As well as Hartley, Senator Xenophon's SA-Best party will also field candidates in up to 20 South Australian seats in March in a bid to win the balance of power in state parliament.
Though should it be successful in most of those contests, it could be in a position to lead a minority government.
The Advertiser poll, which quizzed more than 500 voters in Hartley, was also bad news for Labor with primary support at just 17 per cent.
However, the party is yet to name its candidate for the seat in Adelaide affluent northeast.
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