Ward’s abrupt resignation from behind bars on August 8 triggered a byelection for September 13.

Premier Chris Minns has endorsed policy and community advocate Katelin McInerney as the Labor candidate for Kiama.

“Her career has been dedicated to standing up for people and their livelihoods,” he said.

“This will be a tough seat for Labor to win, but Katelin knows her community, she understands their priorities, and she will work tirelessly to deliver for them.”

McInerney ran for Kiama at the 2023 election and lost to Ward by a little over 2300 votes.

Ward, who had held Kiama since snatching it from Labor under the Liberal banner in 2011, retained the seat as an independent despite facing charges in court.

Minns said Labor’s chances of winning the seat felt “like Everest” but he would take “absolutely nothing for granted”.

The Liberal Party has thrown its support behind Shoalhaven City Councillor Serena Copley as its candidate.

She also conceded just how difficult the upcoming byelection will be, after the Liberals managed to pull only 12.04 per cent of the votes at the 2023 election. 

“I am under no illusion how hard this contest will be, but I’m in it to win and to give the people of Kiama a strong and effective voice in the NSW parliament,” she said.

“However you look at it, Labor have failed to deliver for Kiama.

“They don’t understand regional NSW and unfortunately, it is local families, households and small businesses that are paying the price.”

Local businesswoman Kate Dezarnaulds is also running for Kiama as an independent.

The Greens are expected to announce former Shoalhaven City councillor and Western Sydney University professor Tonia Gray, who ran at the last election and placed below the Liberals with 11.13 per cent of the vote, as its candidate. 

Ward resigned after losing his last-minute legal challenge to block his colleagues in NSW parliament from voting on an expulsion for the first time in 107 years.

His lawyers tried to argue that his four sex convictions were not enough to expel him from parliament under “unworthy behaviour” provisions.

Ward is currently in jail after being found guilty in July of incidents against two young men in 2013 and 2015.

He is currently awaiting sentencing for sexually assaulting an intoxicated political staffer after a midweek event in the state’s parliament in 2015. 

Technically, he could run again at the by-election if he chose to do so.