Daniel Tehan, 41, yesterday revealed he had resigned as deputy state director of the Victorian branch of the Liberal Party in order to throw his hat in the ring for the blue ribbon seat.

He joined Elizabeth Matuschka, 49, who also announced she would nominate for preselection in Wannon after an unsuccessful bid to win the seat of Ballarat in the 2004 federal election.

Mr Tehan, a father of five, was raised on a farm in north-eastern Victoria and now lives in Melbourne but plans to move to Hamilton if he wins preselection.

Unlike some of the other seven preselection nominees for Wannon, Mr Tehan chose not to be quoted in The Standard in accordance with strict party rules on preselection.

Wannon MP David Hawker, who has held the seat for 26 years, will retire at the next election.

Mr Tehan's late mother Marie was the health minister in the Kennett government and served as an MP for 12 years before her retirement in 1999.

Mr Tehan was educated at Xavier College in Melbourne and holds several degrees including a Masters of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He completed an agricultural exchange in Denmark, has worked in the dairy sector and by 1997 was a policy officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In 1999, the fluent Spanish speaker took up a two-year posting at the Australian Embassy in Mexico City.

Under the Howard government, Mr Tehan was a trade adviser to then deputy prime minister Mark Vaile, and later small business minister Fran Bailey.

In 2007, he was appointed to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as director of trade policy and international affairs.

Applications for preselection close on July 14.