Sophomore surge as ALP’s Kim Richards retains Redlands
The ALP’s Kim Richards has retained her seat, helped along with a sophomore surge but experiencing a diminished margin.
QLD Votes
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The bayside seat of Redlands has been retained by the ALP’s sitting MP Kim Richards after a bitter battle.
Counting continues in the seat, which attracted eight candidates.
But with more than 20 per cent of the vote counted, Ms Richards was ahead with 52.1 per cent of the two-party preferred vote leading the LNP’s Henry Pike on 47.9 per cent.
The first-termer Ms Richards won the seat at the 2017 election taking it from the LNP’s Matt McEachan.
She entered this race with a tight 3.1 per cent margin but with a sophomore surge managed to get across the line.
Her biggest challenge came from LNP candidate Henry Pike, who was strongly backed by federal LNP MP Andrew Laming who helped with campaigning.
The campaign in the electorate was bitter with longstanding political sparring between Mr Laming and former LNP member Sheena Hewlett, who was on Ms Richards’ team.
Typical election accusations about corflutes and signs being illegally placed dogged the campaign along with disputes over $60 million in promised funding to dual-lane Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd.
Ms Richards gained some ground when she announced a $62 million expansion of the Redland Hospital in September.
CANDIDATES
Carmen McNaught (Greens)
Henry Pike (Liberal National)
Peter Williams (One Nation)
Michelle Maher (Informed Medical Options)
Andrew Pope (Shooters, Fishers & Farmers)
Kim Richards (Labor)
Craig Gunnis (United Australia)
Frank Everett Brady (Legalise Cannabis)