Liz Habermann says she will fight to save "dying" towns if elected as an independent in the vast South Australian seat of Grey this federal election.
Ms Habermann nearly dethroned the Liberal Party in the usually safe seat of Flinders on South Australia's west coast at the state election in March.
The owner of the Wudinna bakery on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula secured a swing of more than 23 per cent.
While she missed out on winning Flinders by just over 1,000 votes, the significant swing has prompted her to confirm that she will run in Grey.
She decided to contest the seat after Senator Rex Patrick announced he would be running for the senate again, rather than in Grey.
Running as an independent was her superpower, she said.
"Being a voice that is actually independent of any party, you get to speak for the people, get to hear what they have to say and what they need, and you can fight for that without having to step on any toes in your party."
Ms Habermann said had only just made the announcement as she needed to take some time to decide if she was ready to run for the federal seat.
She said the state election campaign took a toll on her physically and financially.
She said her focus would be the establishment of a federal integrity commission, health care, water for the future and the rejuvenation of regional communities by re-establishing trains.
"Towns are dying after rail got shut everywhere around South Australia, the roads are getting destroyed," she said.
"There are some massive issues — we need someone to fight for these things and fight for our state and I think federally is where that can be best done."
Ms Habermann will be up against Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey, who has held the seat of Grey since 2007.
"He's shown his face and that's fantastic, but it comes down to him being a member of a party – his hands are tied," she said.
Incumbent running his own race
Mr Ramsey said that as the incumbent MP he was only concerned with his own campaign, not other contenders on the field.
"Obviously, there was a much closer election in 2016 when we had a Nick Xenophon candidate," he said.
"It is an issue with a seat like Grey if an independent or an aligned candidate slips in front of the Labor Party -- they'll harvest those preferences, we don't know where that folds. We'll have to wait and see."
Mr Ramsey said he did not accept Ms Habermann's claim that the electorate of Grey needed her help.
"I do notice comments from Liz already, some of them I will be taking on the indication that somehow Grey is missing out," he said.
