MITTAGONG-based accountant Rick Mandelson has missed out on the hotly contested Liberal pre-selection for the seat of Hume, which includes the towns of Bundanoon, Penrose, Wingello, Colo Vale, Hill Top, Yerinbool, Balmoral and Medway.
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Forty-four-year-old Angus Taylor won the pre-selection and will now stand for the Libs at the next federal election.
Mr Taylor, who is based in Goulburn and Sydney, has been a member of the Liberal Party for 18 years and beat out other candidates Ross Hampton, Rick Mandelson and Ed Storey.
Mr Mandelson said he was disappointed by the outcome but would continue to be active in the community.
"Clearly Alby had somebody in mind and convinced a few people that Angus was the right man for the job," he said.
"Don't get me wrong, Angus is a top bloke but the others were pretty good too.
"The logistics of not having a base (in Hume) or people out there beating the drum for you made it more difficult.
"I would have liked to have a crack at getting a few things done that I think needed to be done.
"A little bit more common sense (is needed) in the Parliament along with someone who's actually done some things, not just academics, lawyers and union reps."
With the deadline for the Throsby pre-selection passed and the local council Wingecarribee Liberal ticket already determined, Mr Mandelson has few options left on the political scene at present.
In a Fairfax Poll that ran on the Goulburn Post, Young Witness, Yass Tribune, Cowra Guardian, Southern Highland News and Town and Country Magazine websites, readers favoured Mr Taylor with more than 67 per cent of the 631 votes cast.
Mr Hampton followed on 18 per cent, Rick Mandelson had 7.4 per cent and Ed Shorey had 6.8 per cent.
Mr Schultz, whose recent retirement triggered the need for pre-selection, was one of the pre-selectors and has effectively been able to pass the torch on to Mr Taylor who he had publicly backed going into the contest.
But it's likely to hot up soon. Mr Schultz, a vocal critic of The Nationals, said Mr Taylor would take them on.
"(My advice is) go out there and debate them," he said.
"This bloke has a greater capacity to appeal to the people than any candidate The Nationals can put up? His debating skills are something The Nationals won't want to face in the public arena."
Nationals Senator for NSW, Fiona Nash, is the hotly tipped candidate for Hume but party hierarchy says it has at least 12 interested nominees.
Mr Schultz said he'd be doing everything to raise Mr Taylor's profile, starting with a debutante ball in Young last Saturday night attended by about 700 people.