Liberals Aaron Buman, Thomas Triebsees, Callum Pull and Jenny Barrie have addressed a party "lord mayoral debate night" as they weigh up whether to nominate for Newcastle council elections in September.
Under party rules, the potential candidates are not allowed to discuss whether they will run for lord mayor or the council.
But the Newcastle Herald understands incumbent councillors Pull and Barrie, former councillor Buman and Mr Triebsees are in the mix to take on Labor's Nuatali Nelmes.
All four participated in the debate on Wednesday night, an event which one source described as surprisingly cordial.
All four potential candidates reportedly expressed support for the Supercars race to return to Newcastle East.
Mr Buman's participation in the debate came after he told the Herald in February that rumours of him nominating for the council "could not be further from the truth".
Mr Buman, an at times controversial independent when he was a councillor 12 years ago, nominated to contest ward one in 2021 but was not endorsed by the Liberal state executive.
Nominations for Liberal preselection in the four council wards and for lord mayoral candidacy close on Monday.
The Herald has been told Mr Buman is likely to nominate in ward four against Cr Pull but could throw his hat in the ring in ward one, especially if independent councillor John Church pulls up stumps.
Cr Church said on Friday that he was still consulting with his support base and taking soundings from the community before making a decision.
A ward one position appears unwinnable for the Liberals if Cr Church runs.
In ward two, the Herald has been told Cr Barrie could face a preselection challenge from Mr Triebsees, the former German army officer who ran for the state seat of Newcastle last year, and Newcastle state electoral conference secretary Brendan Tate.
The sources said Mr Triebsees was also contemplating a tilt at ward three against incumbent councillor Katrina Wark and possibly Matt Bailey, the partner of former Port Stephens councillor Jaimie Abbott.
Kim Rowan, of the Lee Rowan's Gardenworld family, was touted as a potential nominee in ward two, but sources said she had opted not to run.
