Barrister and Melbourne City councillor Roshena Campbell has been chosen as the Liberal Party candidate for the marginal seat of Aston vacated by former federal education minister Alan Tudge.

Voters from the electorate in Melbourne’s outer east will head to the polls on April Fool’s Day to select their replacement for Mr Tudge.

House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick has set the date for Saturday, April 1, with candidate nominations to close on March 9.

Mr Tudge delivered his resignation letter to the Speaker last week, kicking off the formal by-election process.

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Senior Liberal Party members, including Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, had pushed for a woman to be nominated.

About half a dozen senior party figures, including Mr Dutton, voted on the selection in a secret ballot of the Victorian administrative committee in Melbourne on Tuesday night, The Age reported.

Having a rank-and-file ballot would have delayed the ability for the candidate to campaign against Labor’s pick, former unionist and finance worker Mary Doyle.

The Liberals’ margin in Aston was cut from 10.1 per cent to 2.8 per cent at the May election.

-AAP