Newman was elected to the lord mayorship as a member of the Liberal Party. He became a member of the LNP following the July 2008 merger of the Queensland Liberals and the Nationals. In March 2011, Newman announced that he would challenge opposition leader John-Paul Langbroek for the leadership of the LNP. Langbroek resigned, and Newman was elected his successor. As Newman was not a member of the Legislative Assembly, former state Nationals' leader Jeff Seeney was elected interim opposition leader while Newman headed the party's election team from outside the legislature.