Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie wins Mayo by-election, defeating Liberal Georgina Downer

REBEKHA Sharkie has won the Mayo by-election, with Georgina Downer conceding the battle at 8pm.

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CENTRE Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie has been left speechless after storming to victory in the Mayo by-election.

In a night that saw Opposition Leader Bill Shorten all but guarantee he will lead his party to the next Federal Election, Ms Sharkie proved her reputation as a popular local member was cemented in history.

Ms Sharkie attributed her win to “people power” while celebrating at Mt Barker’s Wallis Cinema with supporters, including Queensland independent MP Bob Katter.

Supporters from her “orange army” serenaded Ms Sharkie with a ukulele and songs including You Are My Sunshine.

.@MakeMayoMatter makes her speech as the re-elected member for Mayo @theTiser #SuperSaturday #mayobyelection pic.twitter.com/T49Cnqo7go

— Jade Gailberger (@JadeGailberger) July 28, 2018

“I’m just on cloud nine right now,” Ms Sharkie said.

“It has been a really long campaign and feels a bit surreal at the moment. I’m speechless.”

As Ms Sharkie’s immediate future in Parliament was guaranteed, she looks set to continue her political rivalry with Liberal candidate Georgina Downer, who yesterday said she would run for Mayo again at the next federal election.

Ms Downer’s father Alexander, a long-serving minister in the Howard government, held the seat of Mayo for 24 years since its inception in 1984.

But his daughter has faced accusations of being an outsider, after returning to the region she grew up in after 20 years away.

Ms Downer congratulated Ms Sharkie on her win.

Liberal candidate Georgina Downer with her father Alexander Downer at the Barker Hotel after making her concession speech. Picture: AAP / Kelly Barnes

“Ultimately this was a by-election about the people of Mayo, and I respect their decision today,” she said.

“A by-election is always tough and being the Government’s candidate, we knew it was going to be tough. But I think we did an extremely good job.”

Ms Downer’s family, including her parents and younger sister Henrietta, handed out how-to-vote cards at booths during the day.

Mr Downer told the Sunday Mail he attended up to six booths yesterday, as he spruiked his daughter as an “intelligent” candidate.

Her mother Nikki Downer told voters how great Ms Downer was, saying “I would know, she’s my daughter.”

A Liberal factional blame game erupted hours before the polls closed, as Liberal Moderates accused the party’s Right, which controls Mayo, of blocking Ms Sharkie’s return to the fold because of overconfidence about Ms Downer’s electoral appeal.

In May, Liberal members in Mayo had revolted against a bid to return Ms Sharkie to the party and bolster the Federal Government’s numbers in parliament.

But senior Liberals yesterday said the move floundered because Ms Sharkie, who has said she did not approach the party, could not be guaranteed Liberal preselection or a change to party rules to override a members’ ballot to choose the candidate.

Ms Sharkie defeated her former boss, Liberal Jamie Briggs, 54.97 per cent to 45.03 per cent in the two-party-preferred vote at the 2016 Federal Election.

She was the first Nick Xenophon Team member to enter the House of Representatives in Canberra.

Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie makes her victory speech at Mt Barker’s Wallis theatre. Picture: AAP / David Mariuz

Mr Xenophon was not present on Saturday night to see Ms Sharkie win under the Centre Alliance banner, adopted after the former South Australian senator exited politics after an ill-fated attempt at the March State Election.

Mr Xenophon did not attend Ms Sharkie’s after-party or assist her campaign.

Butthe Sunday Mail understands he did offer her some words of encouragement the night before the by-election.

Ms Sharkie cast her vote early at the Spring Head Lutheran School in her hometown of Mt Torrens.

She wore a heart on the lapel of her jacket, from independent Victorian MP Cathy McGowan, to “give her as much courage as she needs”.

After the release of polling on Monday revealed she should easily win, Ms Sharkie feared another smear from her opponents in the final days — after corflutes stating ‘a vote for Sharkie was a vote for Shorten’ had appeared early in the campaign.

Mr Shorten has had to dodge speculation that his leadership would be under threat from his Infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese if Labor seats went to the Liberals.

Braddon, in Tasmania’s northwest, looked set to go back to Labor’s Justine Keay.

And Longman, in Brisbane, looked set to follow suite, despite polling earlier this week suggesting One Nation preferences could help the Liberals get them get over the line.

Speculation that Malcolm Turnbull could call an early election looks all but dead.

OFF THE RECORD PODCAST: SPECIAL EPISODE - MAYO BY-ELECTION