Former Malcolm Turnbull adviser Alice Thompson has decided to withdraw from the contest for Tony Abbott's seat of Warringah to back Olympian Zali Steggall.
Ms Thompson announced on January 22 she would stand in the blue ribbon seat, held by the former prime minister for 25 years, as an independent at the federal election.
However, she has now told the The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age she intends to pull out of the contest instead of undercutting Ms Steggall or splitting the vote.
"There is no point in undercutting Zali here, I want all my volunteers and supporters in Warringah to get behind her. She's got this," Ms Thompson said.
She will instead run in the adjoining seat of Mackellar, where she lives.
Ms Steggall welcomed Ms Thompson's move.
"There has been a great concern that too many independents would split the vote and diminish the impact of each one of us, so the fact that Alice is leaving this to me is a win for the campaign for change, and a win for Mackellar," she said.
