Just over five years ago, nobody in WA politics had a brighter looking future than Christian Porter.

At the age of just 42, and only four years into his parliamentary career, Mr Porter was already treasurer and attorney-general in the WA Government and widely seen as the man who would ultimately take over from Colin Barnett as premier.

But he shocked everyone by turning his back on it all.

"I have come to a view that I can make a contribution to the advancement of a number of very important issues … and that my greatest chance of making any kind of impact in respect to those issues is in a federal setting," Mr Porter said in 2012.

Sure enough, he quit State Parliament and a year later was elected the federal member for Pearce.

History shows Mr Porter was far from delusional in thinking he could cut it on the national stage, given he was brought into the Coalition cabinet just two years into his time in Federal Parliament.

Now Mr Porter has been promoted again — taking over from George Brandis as the Turnbull Government's Attorney-General in today's cabinet reshuffle to become one of the Federal Government's most senior office-holders.

Sorry, this video has expired Malcolm Turnbull, announcing his reshuffle, says the ministry is "ready for a challenge"

There are plenty who believe this is far from his ceiling, and Mr Porter has often been cited as a potential future prime minister.

But there is one major hurdle standing in his way.

Pearce now a marginal seat

The Liberals are deeply concerned about their chances in Mr Porter's seat of Pearce at the next election.

Dramatic outer-suburban growth in recent years has made Pearce a much more urban seat than it was previously, taking in Perth's expanding north-eastern corridor.

Parts of Perth's expanding north-eastern corridor are in the Pearce electorate. ( ABC News: Graeme Powell )

Once a blue-ribbon Liberal seat, it is now a true marginal and one Labor has its eyes firmly set upon.

"The party is definitely running a strong, targeted campaign [in Pearce]," WA Labor's assistant state secretary, Matt Dixon, recently said.

Decorated WA Police officer Kim Travers has been preselected by Labor to take on Mr Porter, and the party believes she has a genuine chance of winning.

Indeed, if the swing in Pearce at the next election is as big as polls on a national level are currently projecting, Mr Porter would be in real trouble.

GST anger brewing

Anger towards the Turnbull Government in WA over the State's continued low share of GST revenue certainly will not help.

On a state level, Labor has also endeared itself to voters in that part of the world by promising a train line to Ellenbrook that the WA Liberals previously planned and then abandoned.

Still, the Liberals will not give up on one of their rising stars without a fight and the "Save Christian Porter" plan is already taking shape within the party.

Christian Porter may face a tough battle to hold onto his seat of Pearce. ( ABC News: Eliza Laschon )

Some within Liberal ranks hope that shifting Mr Porter away from the divisive social services portfolio will help that cause.

Mr Porter will be hoping that a polished performance as the country's Attorney-General will further endear him to voters and help him resist a difficult tide of electoral sentiment to cling onto his spot in Parliament.

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