Tasmanian Labor unveils 2025 state election candidates for Clark, Franklin, Lyons electorates
Labor has announced its state election candidates for Clark, Franklin, and Lyons, tapping several prominent community leaders to help the Opposition win government.
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A former Tasmanian of the Year, an ex-Jacqui Lambie Network candidate, and a local mayor are among the chosen few who have been preselected to run for Labor in the 2025 state election.
Opposition Leader Dean Winter will today unveil Labor’s line-up of candidates for the Southern electorates of Clark and Franklin, as well as the sprawling rural seat of Lyons.
Incumbent Labor MPs Meg Brown, Ella Haddad, Josh Willie, Casey Farrell, Jen Butler, and Mr Winter will all be seeking to retain their seats in parliament.
Luke Martin, who has served as a Glenorchy councillor and later went on to head up the peak body for the state’s tourism industry before taking on the role of CEO at Salmon Tasmania, will hope to pick up a seat in Clark.
Mr Martin has most recently worked as an adviser to Mr Winter.
He will be joined on the ticket by 2023 Tasmanian of the Year, John Kamara, who is a prominent migrant and refugee advocate.
Unions Tasmania secretary Jess Munday has been tapped to run in Franklin, as has Kingborough councillor Kaspar Deane.
In Lyons, former federal MP Brian Mitchell will hope to make the switch to state parliament after he stepped aside to allow former state Opposition Leader Rebecca White to run for his seat at the 2025 federal election.
Vying for a berth alongside Mr Mitchell will be Southern Midlands Mayor Edwin Batt.
Mr Winter said he was “proud” of the candidates Labor had secured in the state’s South.
“This team is full of passionate Tasmanians from all walks of life – who are ready to represent their local communities and give Tasmania a fresh start,” Mr Winter said.
“Tasmanians have a choice this election between a fresh start under Labor, or more of the same from a Liberal government who have had 11 years.”
Chris Hannan, a former candidate for the now-defunct Jacqui Lambie Network (JLN), will run for Labor in Franklin, saying she made the switch because the party was “united and driven” and “best placed to take the state forward”.
“My values align strongly with the labour movement,” she said.
“I’m passionate about Tasmanians being able to access health, mental health and disability services when they need it, and Labor is a natural fit to help me give more of a voice in parliament to the people that need it.”
Andrew Jenner and Miriam Beswick, who were elected under the JLN banner at the 2024 state election, will now both run for the Nationals.
Ms Beswick, a Braddon MP, went on to sit as an independent after she and her Bass colleague Rebekah Pentland were kicked out of the JLN in August because of their “cosy relationship” with the Liberals.
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Originally published as Tasmanian Labor unveils 2025 state election candidates for Clark, Franklin, Lyons electorates
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