Ms Hammond was pre-selected as the candidate for the blue-ribbon seat of Curtin at a meeting in Perth on Sunday, to replace former foreign minister Julie Bishop.

Ms Hammond, 50, defeated four other candidates; foreign affairs specialist Erin Watson-Lynn, resources executive Anna Dartnell, and local councillors Karen Caddy and Andres Timmermanis.

"I am humbled and delighted to have been preselected in this preselection meeting for the seat of Curtin, following on from the inestimable Julie Bishop," she told The Australian in Perth.

Ms Hammond won 51 votes ahead of Ms Dartnell's 28 votes, and the remaining candidates each scored one vote.

Ms Hammond had earlier been named as one of three front-runner candidates.

The decision will be taken to the State Council meeting on Wednesday to be ratified, a party spokesman told AAP.

Ms Bishop tweeted her congratulations to the conservative Ms Hammond.

"I wish her all the very best in upcoming election. There is no greater calling than representing your community, your state and your country in the national parliament," Ms Bishop wrote.

Ms Hammond has big shoes to fill as Ms Bishop is more recognisable than Prime Minister Scott Morrison at 82 to 77 per cent respectively, The Australia Institute poll on Sunday reveals.

"For Julie Bishop to still be more recognised than the current Prime Minister of Australia is unprecedented," the institute's executive director Ben Oquist said.

Ms Bishop was also the first woman in the seat of Curtin and held it for two decades.

Prior to the result, Senior West Australian Liberal Linda Reynolds had refused to endorse a candidate as it was "purely and simply" for local preselectors.

"I know the preselectors today will choose wisely and whatever the outcome we will have a worthy successor to Julie Bishop," she told Sky News on Sunday.

Ms Bishop announced her retirement from politics on February 24, saying she would step down at the federal election.

Australian Associated Press