Labor’s Charlotte Walker wins senate seat for South Australia aged 21 after weeks of federal election vote counting

After weeks of vote counting, she has won a shock election result and skyrocketing salary.

SA’s new Labor senator Charlotte Walker celebrated her 21st birthday on election day. Picture: Brett Hartwig.

South Australia’s Charlotte Walker is the nation’s youngest senator at 21 years of age after weeks of vote counting finally delivers the Labor candidate a shock senate spot.

Ms Walker is following in the footsteps of former South Australians Democrats Natasha Stott Despoja and Greens Sarah Hanson-Young arriving in Canberra with the title of youngest woman senator.

The SA Young Labor president – who grew up in Yankalilla – was blowing out 21st birthday cake candles as federal election day polling closed on May 3.

Now she heads to “Senate school” in July armed with an around $200,000 salary and six-year term, the first parliamentarian to be born in this millennium.

“I do want to represent all South Australians but I think I’m uniquely placed to speak to and relate to young people,” Ms Walker said.

“What I was hearing at the booths were concerns about the cost of living, uni students especially doing practical (placements) and trying to make ends meet, getting into the housing market, and having to stay at home longer.”

After more than three weeks waiting on vote counting, SA’s Charlotte Walker, who turned 21 on federal election day, has won a seat in the Senate. Picture: supplied

Charlotte Walker with federal Health Minister Mark Butler. Picture: Instagram

Ms Walker won the sixth SA senate spot behind Labor’s Marielle Smith, Liberal’s Alex Antic, the Greens Sarah Hanson-Young, Labor’s Karen Grogan and the Liberal’s Anne Ruston.

The Australian Services Union staffer’s record-breaking senate age of 21 years of age was only bettered by Wyatt Roy when he won the Queensland electorate of Longman for the Liberal National Party in 2010 aged 20.

Ms Stott Despoja was the youngest candidate to win a senate spot in 1995 at the age of 26, Ms Hanson-Young beat the record aged 25 in 2008, while Western Australian Greens senator Jordan Steele-John was elected in 2019 aged 23.

State Labor Speaker Leon Bignell can remember first recruiting Ms Walker to work in his Yankalilla electorate office after she completed year 12 at Investigator College in Victor Harbor.

“I caught up with her at the Yankalilla Show in 2022 and when I talked to her she seemed bright and interested in politics so I said ‘ how about you come and do a few days a week in my office’,” Mr Bignell said.

There was much excitement at her former Investigator College in Victor Harbor where school principal John Robinson described Ms Walker as “a kind and caring student who worked hard and took her role as College Captain very seriously”.

He described the school community as being “ thrilled but not surprised to hear of Charlotte’s success” at the 2025 Federal Election.

“While at school, she displayed the values, confidence and leadership capabilities that make us believe she will thrive in the role of Senator,” he said.

Ms Walker led events and fundraising, was a frequent public speaker, featured in the school’s musical production of Matilda and pioneered an annual event at Currency Creek EcoCentre drawing together leaders from other schools to explore careers in sustainability.

Foreign Affairs Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong said Charlotte “is a passionate, intelligent woman who was raised in Normanville and knows what matters to regional South Australians”.

Originally published as Labor’s Charlotte Walker wins senate seat for South Australia aged 21 after weeks of federal election vote counting