ROYAL Bathurst Show president Sam Farraway features in a crowded field hoping to take a spot in the NSW Upper House.
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He is understood to be one of three leading contenders - in an expected field of 10 - to fill the shoes of departing NSW Upper House Nationals MLC Niall Blair, who gave up the water and primary industries ministry after the March state election.
Nominations for the Upper House spot close next Monday, August 19 and the preselection is to be held on September 5.
Mr Farraway, a former candidate in a Federal Nationals Senate preselection, is a long-time president of the Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Association and is chairman of the Bathurst Nationals branch.
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One of his two main rivals is understood to be Scott Barrett, the Nationals candidate for the state seat of Orange in 2016, who lost to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party in a boilover.
The seat had been held by the Nationals for 40 years, but the party was hit by an electoral backlash over council amalgamations and the greyhound racing ban.
Mr Barrett now works for the Department of Primary Industries in Orange.
He is a former adviser to Mr Blair.
Mr Farraway's other main rival is Karen Hogan, who has worked at Lismore Base Hospital for 11 years and is the wife of federal Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan.
Mr Blair announced earlier this year he would be leaving parliament, but confirmed it a week ago.
It followed his decision not to seek a ministry in the new Berejiklian-Barilaro Government after fielding death threats while taking up the fight for the NSW Government over the Murray-Darling's problems, particularly following the fish deaths in the lower Darling.
At the time, he said the threats had taken too much of a toll on himself and his family.
Mr Farraway unsuccessfully contested the Nationals' preselection for the federal seat of Calare following John Cobb's retirement in 2016.
