Former Port Adelaide Enfield mayor Gary Johanson to take on Labor at a by-election next month, in fourth bid for State Parliament

Former Port Adelaide Enfield mayor Gary Johanson will challenge Labor at a by-election to be held next month, as he launches a fourth bid for a seat in State Parliament.

Former Port Adelaide Enfield mayor Gary Johanson will challenge Labor at a by-election to be held next month, as he launches a fourth bid for a seat in State Parliament.

After speculation about his plans for the February 9 races to replace retiring former premier Jay Weatherill and his deputy John Rau, Mr Johanson has declared he will stand as an independent in Labor’s heartland seat of Enfield.

Mr Johanson told The Advertiser he had quit SA Best, the party formerly led by Nick Xenophon and with whom he campaigned at the 2018 state election, and his decision to stand down as mayor was in readiness for a by-election tilt.

“It’s time that someone stood up to the major parties, and I’m it,” he said. “I’m up for it. That’s why I didn’t run for mayor again, it wouldn’t be possible to run a proper campaign while you’re the mayor.”

Mr Johanson said be believed he could be a broker between a Liberal State Government, a council with which he still had close links, and whichever party wins a federal election due within months.

Mr Johanson said he’d “done what needed to be done to fix Port Adelaide” and nominated helping recent migrants integrate into areas around Kilburn as a key focus.

Gary Johanson upon his departure from Port Adelaide/Enfield council, with his endorsed replacement candidate Claire Boan. Picture: AAP / Roy Van Der Vegt

Andrea Michaels, Labor’s candidate for the Enfield by-election. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Labor’s candidate in Enfield is lawyer Andrea Michaels, and the party holds the seat with a 7.9 per cent margin.

A Labor spokesman yesterday attacked Mr Johanson as “a serial candidate” who’s run in two other electorates and been in parties including the Liberals and SA Best.

“Labor is not taking these seats for granted, which is why we have preselected two high-quality candidates who have now been actively campaigning in their communities for weeks,” the spokesman said.

“Given he (Mr Johanson) has run in several seats and been a member of multiple parties, he seems more interested in advancing himself than advancing a particular community or advancing a particular set of values.”

Mr Johanson’s best result was at the 2012 Port Adelaide by-election to replace former treasurer Kevin Foley, where he lost to now Labor Deputy Leader Susan Close 47-53.

SA Best MP Connie Bonaros said her party would not run in either state by-election and is focusing its resources on the federal election this year.

“We’re just going to sit this one out,” she said. “We’re in the process of restructuring and have looked at this by-election and decided we’re not going to run any candidates.”

Greens MP Mark Parnell said his party would run in both by-elections, and was currently selecting its candidates.

Liberal state secretary Sascha Meldrum said no decision on running candidates was being announced yet.

However, there is a widespread view among party members that the Liberals are unlikely to enter the race, as they have not even opened preselection for candidates in a poll now just weeks away.