SA Best leader Nick Xenophon has unveiled five more candidates ahead of South Australia's March 2018 election and has revealed plans to target rising Labor star and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan.
A day after Newspoll revealed Mr Xenophon's SA Best party is leading the major parties, the former senator announced local government energy efficiency specialist Andy Legrand to run against Mr Mullighan in his western suburbs seat of Lee.
SA Best will also target Labor in Adelaide's north and south — with school teacher Michael O'Brien to take on Hurtle Vale MP Nat Cook and lawyer Phil Gallasch to run against Elizabeth MP Lee Odenwalder.
But Liberal seats will remain SA Best's primary target, including Tim Whetstone's Riverland based seat of Chaffey, and Yorke Peninsula stronghold Narungga, where former deputy Liberal leader Steven Griffiths is retiring.
SA Best will run former Berri-Barmera councillor Michelle Campbell in Chaffey and agronomist Sam Davies in Narungga.
They will join six other SA Best candidates running in Liberal held seats — including Mr Xenophon in the seat of Hartley.
A ninth candidate in the Liberal held seat of Finniss, Rhys Adams was sacked over an inappropriate Facebook post.
Mr Xenophon said he plans to unveil further candidates in the new year, taking his party's total to roughly 20 seats.
