The grandson of Irma Palasics, whose violent killing in a home invasion was one of the capital's oldest cold cases, will seek endorsement from the Canberra Liberals to run for the Legislative Assembly.
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John Mikita, who has campaigned for more police funding in the years after his grandmother's death in 1999, has nominated for Liberal preselection in Yerrabi.
Over the more than two decades between Mrs Palasics' death and the police breakthrough that led to the arrest of two Melbourne men last year, Mr Mikita sought to keep public attention on the case.
In November - 24 years after Mrs Palasics was killed - Mr Mikita launched a campaign calling for more police in Canberra.
"The government needs to prioritise the allocation of funds for adequate police staff and resources for the growing Canberra community equitably, without running the police service cost neutral," Mr Mikita wrote in January.
Mr Mikita is among a field of 30 candidates who are understood to be vying to be preselected to run as Canberra Liberals candidates at the October election.
Sitting Assembly members James Milligan and Leanne Castley will seek to recontest their seats in Yerrabi.
Former candidate Kacey Lam Evans, ACT Local Hero award finalist Chiaka Moneke, Krishna Nadimpalli and Gungahlin Community Council vice-president Ralitsa Dimitrova have also nominated for preselection in the seat.
Eight people, including Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee, have nominated for preselection in Kurrajong, which covers Canberra's inner north and south.
Jerry Nockles, who was then prime minister Scott Morrison's captain's pick to run in the NSW seat of Eden-Monaro in 2022, is among the field.
Former candidate and Liberal staffer Patrick Pentony will seek endorsement, alongside Ramon Bouckaert, a longtime ACT Young Liberals member and former Assembly staffer, and Slade Minson, a real estate agent who ran for the party in the 2022 federal election.
Michael Keating, who owns the Inside Canberra newsletter, has also nominated for preselection in Kurrajong, along with police officer Mike Calatzis and Sarah Luscombe.
Preselectors will vote next month at a party meeting to determine which of the eight candidates take up the five candidate spots in the seat.
Brindabella preselectors will likely have the choice of seven candidates vying for endorsement, including the incumbent member Mark Parton.
Federal Liberal staffer and former Canberra Liberals press secretary Deborah Seccombe has also nominated, along with Sandi Mitra, Rosa Harber, James Daniels, David Lammerton and Emmanuel Ezekiel-Hart.
Preselection for candidates in Murrumbidgee is set to be uncontested.
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Jeremy Hanson, who was stripped of the deputy leadership in a party room meeting late last year and relegated to the backbench, will seek to recontest his seat, as will Ed Cocks, who was elected on countback this term after Giulia Jones resigned.
Armardeep Singh, who ran for the seat in 2020, has nominated, along with Elyse Heslehurst, who has worked as an adviser to Mr Parton.
In Ginninderra, incumbent members Peter Cain and Elizabeth Kikkert have nominated for preselection, along with Darren Roberts and Joe Prevedello, a former radio journalist and media adviser.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
