A council leader will battle it out with a backbench councillor to lead the Lib Dem group at the Local Government Association (LGA).
Eastleigh BC leader Keith House will go head-to-head with Oldham MBC councillor Howard Sykes in the election.
The new leader would replace former Portsmouth City Council leader, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, who has reached the end of his maximum six-year term and has backed Cllr Sykes.
Cllr House, who previously co-led a national government review on the role of councils in housing delivery, has chaired various LGA bodies and is now a deputy chair of the association’s economy, environment, housing and transport board.
He said: 'As a serving council leader with senior roles within the LGA from its start 20 years ago, I believe I have the right skill mix to help give the strongest voice for the Lib Dems in the LGA.
'With established relationships within the LGA’s staff and cross-party, and having been a regular speaker at LGA events and given evidence to select committees, I want the Lib Dems to keep punching above their weight in the LGA.
'The role is also to support Lib Dem council groups across the country, tackling Conservative austerity and creating a climate for the Lib Dems to get back to winning, as my track record over more than 20 years demonstates.'
In a recent blog, Cllr Sykes said he would bring a ‘no-nonsense approach’ and would be a ‘strong Liberal voice standing up for Lib Dems, the people we represent and views we hold’.
He added: ‘This isn’t just needed inside the LGA, but, more crucially, in my view, inside the party.
‘We’ve had a raw deal in recent years, and we need a party that helps and supports us to campaign and win in our areas, which is not always how it feels now.’
Current group chair and Sutton LBC leader, Ruth Dombey, will stand as deputy.
The ballot opens on June 9.
