MORE than 4000 people have voted for the Nationals' candidate in Tamworth in what party leaders have likened to a US-style primary.
Nationals NSW director Ben Franklin said Kevin Anderson beat three others, including the local mayor, James Treloar, to win Saturday's ballot with a slim majority of 50 per cent, The Australian reports.
In a strategy the Nationals clearly hope will help them at next year's state election, the party invited members of the local community who had no association with the Nationals to pick their candidate.
Mr Franklin said this was a pilot strategy aimed at giving the local community a greater say in who would represent them at the next election.
"Basically, we threw our preselection processes open to the public," he said.
Under normal processes, members in individual electorates select their local candidates.
- Read more about the US-style Nationals preselection at The Australian.
