LABOR is “scratching around” to find a candidate to run against Christopher Pyne in the federal seat of Sturt.

ALP state branch president Reggie Martin said the candidate to run against Mr Pyne would be announced in the “very near future”, the same thing the party has been saying for the past three months.

Labor candidates for the more marginal federal seats of Boothby and Hindmarsh were announced in early August after a nomination period in July.

At the time, the ALP said the Sturt nominee would be revealed shortly after that.

But the announcement was put off until the Labor Party state conference on October 24 and 25.

Mr Martin said the candidate would be revealed “soon” but would not say when.

He said two people had expressed an interest back in August but wanted more certainly about when the election would be held so they could fit campaigning into their life outside of politics.

He said Malcolm Turnbull becoming Prime Minister on September 15 – backed by Mr Pyne – was not the reason they had “cooled off and pulled out”.

Labor’s candidate for Sturt in 2010 and 2013, Rick Sarre, said last week he would not run again.

Mr Sarre, who is also president of the Sturt Federal Electorate Council, which will choose the Labor Party’s candidate, said finding someone willing to stand was proving hard.

No one had formally nominated, he said.

“We’re scratching around,” Mr Sarre said.

Mr Pyne extended his two-party preferred margin in the seat to 10 per cent in 2013, up from 3.4 per cent in 2010 and 0.9 per cent in 2007. He was first elected in 1993.

One of the potential candidates mentioned in August was Toorak Gardens businesswoman Jo Chapley, who achieved a 1.7 per cent swing in Dunstan against Opposition leader Steven Marshall at the 2014 state election.

She did not return calls.

Mr Pyne said whoever Labor chose as its candidate was a matter for them.

“I have encountered a number of quality candidates over the years and look forward to the 2016 campaign,” Mr Pyne said.

Senator Nick Xenophon is also expected to endorse a candidate in the seat, which returned one of his highest Senate votes in 2013.

Sturt covers most of Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, from Myrtle Bank to Highbury.