Tens of thousands of residents in Melbourne's outer southeast will head to the polls next month to elect a local successor to former premier Daniel Andrews.
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Lower house Speaker Maree Edwards is set to issue a writ for the Mulgrave by-election to be held on November 18 after Mr Andrews quit politics last month after almost nine years as Victorian premier.
The former Labor leader was Mulgrave MP since 2002, when the seat was re-created after being abolished in 1967.
In 2022, Mr Andrews reclaimed the seat on a 10.2 per cent two-party-preferred margin as Labor cruised to another landslide state election victory.
Dandenong mayor Eden Foster, who grew up within the electorate's suburbs of Noble Park and Springvale, has been mooted as Labor's potential pick for preselection.
The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee will meet on Thursday night to decide whether to stand a candidate in Mulgrave.
State Opposition Leader John Pesutto said he would like the party to put forward a Liberal candidate but acknowledged there were multiple factors to consider.
"It is a very significant margin and winning it (the seat) would be very, very difficult," he told reporters at parliament.
"It's about whether we can and should deploy the resources and make the investments we need to as a party to provide the people of Mulgrave with that opportunity to vote for a Liberal candidate."
It will be the second Victorian state by-election this year after the Liberals retained the seat of Warrandyte in Melbourne's northeast following the retirement of veteran MP Ryan Smith.
Labor did not contest the Warrandyte by-election.
Australian Associated Press
