State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe announced she would not be re-contesting her seat in July, which opened the door for a potential preselection contest within the National Party. As of the morning of Tuesday, August 11, Cr Sali had not entered the preselection contest or committed to running in the state election. Mr Lew is currently on leave while he seeks an endorsement from the National Party and has secured the required number of signatures to enter the preselection contest. The Liberal Party is able to contest against the National Party when there is no incumbent member; however, it has not opened preselections for Shepparton. If Cr Sali does not enter the preselection contest, he would still be able to stand for election for another party or as an independent.