Challenger Katherine McBride and sitting MP Tony Pasin will learn their fate on May 13 when the Liberal Party’s Barker Electoral College convenes at Murray Bridge.

Up to 800 financial members of the Liberal Party within the Barker electorate are eligible to vote along with a contingent from the State Executive.

They will decide if Mr Pasin is endorsed for a fifth term as the party’s candidate at the next poll scheduled for 2025 or give the nod to a registered nurse who could become the first female Member for Barker.

In reality, the college usually numbers around the 250-mark as, for example, Port MacDonnell Liberal Party members face a 720km round trip to be present.

If past practice is followed, the electoral college will be chaired by Liberal Party State president Rowan Mumford.

Ms McBride spent her formative years in Kingston and at boarding school in Adelaide before training as a nurse.

Mr Pasin was born in Mount Gambier and practised as a lawyer prior to entering the House of Representatives in 2013.

Barker has never been represented by the ALP as the seat has always returned a candidate from the conservative side of politics since it was created 120 years ago.

Several of the “early” members for Barker had portfolios but the local electorate has only had a member in the Cabinet for two years out of the past 51.

Around 400 Liberal Party members are believed to live in the electorate of MacKillop and this could assist Ms McBride as her husband Nick has been its Liberal MP since 2018.

The rival candidates have been active on the hustings in recent days with Liberty Party members being wooed by the pair.

The McBrides and Mr Pasin were at the Tintinara Football Oval on Saturday for the opening round of the expanded River Murray Football League. The game featured the new Coorong Cats and fellow merged entity Southern Mallee.

Meanwhile, the Millicent and Rendelsham branches of the Liberal Party are set to welcome the McBrides and Mr Pasin to their annual meeting at Beachport tomorrow night.