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Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Outside the box.
Key Electoral Races Remain Unsettled Following Australian Federal Election
Labor's Anthony Albanese secures a second term, while several seats including Goldstein remain undecided.
In the recent Australian federal election held on Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured a second term for the Labor Party in a significant victory.
However, several election races are still pending final results, causing uncertainty in various constituencies.
Among the most closely watched contests is the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, where Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is projected to win against incumbent independent MP Zoe Daniel, according to the polling group Redbridge.
The electorate of Goldstein has been characterized as distinct from other 'teal' districts due to its concentration of middle-class aspirational voters, as described by Simon Welsh, director of Redbridge.
Welsh identified the area's demographic as not fitting the traditional profile of progressive urban voters.
Notably, the electoral landscape in Goldstein was influenced by the local Jewish community, some members of which campaigned actively against Daniel.
This community’s political dynamics have played a crucial role in the contest outcome.
In addition to Goldstein, the seat of Wills has been called for the Labor Party's Peter Khalil, who faced a competitive challenge from Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam.
Several other seats nationwide remain too close to call:
Bradfield: Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian and independent Nicolette Boele are in a fierce competition, with Kapterian currently leading by a narrow margin of 54 votes.
Bullwinkel: Matt Moran of the Liberal Party is in a tight race against Labor's Trish Cook, leading by just 47 votes.
Bean: The ACT seat has not been finalized, with Labor's David Smith leading independent Jessie Price at 51.62% to 48.38% based on a two-candidate-preferred count.
Bendigo: Nationals candidate Andrew Lethlean is ahead with 52.89% against Labor's Lisa Chesters, who has garnered 47.11%.
Calwell: The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has not provided a two-candidate-preferred count, with Labor's Basem Adbo holding 30.62% of the primary vote and Liberal candidate Usman Ghani at 15.62%.
Flinders: There is no two-candidate-preferred count available, with Liberal incumbent Zoe McKenzie leading with 41.16% of the first preference.
Fremantle: Independent Kate Hulett and Labor's Josh Wilson are separated by only 78 votes as they contest the West Australian seat.
Kooyong: Independent incumbent Monique Ryan has a slight lead over Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer, with a two-candidate preferred count of 50.52% to 49.48%.
Longman: LNP's Terry Young is leading Labor's Rhiannyn Douglas by 50.19% to 49.81% based on two-candidate preferencing.
Melbourne: In a surprising turn, Labor’s Sarah Witty leads the Greens' Adam Bandt with 54% to Bandt's 46% on a two-candidate-preferred basis.
Menzies: Labor's Gabriel Ng has a narrow lead over Liberal candidate Keith Wolahan, with 50.76% compared to Wolahan’s 49.24%.
Monash: The AEC has not provided a two-candidate-preferred count as Liberal Mary Aldred leads with 32.26% of the primary vote.
Ryan: The Queensland seat also lacks a two-candidate-preferred count, with LNP's Maggie Forrest holding 35.17% of the primary.
As the election results continue to unfold, the focus will remain on these contested seats, which could significantly impact the political landscape in the coming days.
However, several election races are still pending final results, causing uncertainty in various constituencies.
Among the most closely watched contests is the Melbourne seat of Goldstein, where Liberal candidate Tim Wilson is projected to win against incumbent independent MP Zoe Daniel, according to the polling group Redbridge.
The electorate of Goldstein has been characterized as distinct from other 'teal' districts due to its concentration of middle-class aspirational voters, as described by Simon Welsh, director of Redbridge.
Welsh identified the area's demographic as not fitting the traditional profile of progressive urban voters.
Notably, the electoral landscape in Goldstein was influenced by the local Jewish community, some members of which campaigned actively against Daniel.
This community’s political dynamics have played a crucial role in the contest outcome.
In addition to Goldstein, the seat of Wills has been called for the Labor Party's Peter Khalil, who faced a competitive challenge from Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam.
Several other seats nationwide remain too close to call:
Bradfield: Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian and independent Nicolette Boele are in a fierce competition, with Kapterian currently leading by a narrow margin of 54 votes.
Bullwinkel: Matt Moran of the Liberal Party is in a tight race against Labor's Trish Cook, leading by just 47 votes.
Bean: The ACT seat has not been finalized, with Labor's David Smith leading independent Jessie Price at 51.62% to 48.38% based on a two-candidate-preferred count.
Bendigo: Nationals candidate Andrew Lethlean is ahead with 52.89% against Labor's Lisa Chesters, who has garnered 47.11%.
Calwell: The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has not provided a two-candidate-preferred count, with Labor's Basem Adbo holding 30.62% of the primary vote and Liberal candidate Usman Ghani at 15.62%.
Flinders: There is no two-candidate-preferred count available, with Liberal incumbent Zoe McKenzie leading with 41.16% of the first preference.
Fremantle: Independent Kate Hulett and Labor's Josh Wilson are separated by only 78 votes as they contest the West Australian seat.
Kooyong: Independent incumbent Monique Ryan has a slight lead over Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer, with a two-candidate preferred count of 50.52% to 49.48%.
Longman: LNP's Terry Young is leading Labor's Rhiannyn Douglas by 50.19% to 49.81% based on two-candidate preferencing.
Melbourne: In a surprising turn, Labor’s Sarah Witty leads the Greens' Adam Bandt with 54% to Bandt's 46% on a two-candidate-preferred basis.
Menzies: Labor's Gabriel Ng has a narrow lead over Liberal candidate Keith Wolahan, with 50.76% compared to Wolahan’s 49.24%.
Monash: The AEC has not provided a two-candidate-preferred count as Liberal Mary Aldred leads with 32.26% of the primary vote.
Ryan: The Queensland seat also lacks a two-candidate-preferred count, with LNP's Maggie Forrest holding 35.17% of the primary.
As the election results continue to unfold, the focus will remain on these contested seats, which could significantly impact the political landscape in the coming days.
