Local authority chief Christian Allard will not return to the Scottish Parliament at next year's election after he failed to secure his bid.
The Aberdeen co-council leader lost out to his former colleague, Fatima Joji, in the contest to stand for the SNP in Aberdeenshire West.
Mr Allard previously served as a regional North-East MSP and was a Euro MP until Brexit.
Aberdeen council sources said controversy surrounding the SNP-Lib Dem administration harmed his attempt to win over party support, the P&J reports.
Read the full story on the P&J website.