Tweed Shire Council election results become clear with counting
With more than 26,000 votes already counted a picture is being painted as to who will be sitting on the Tweed Shire Council.
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Counting for this year’s Tweed election is about a third of the way through with a number of frontrunners emerging from the polls.
Group E, the Liberals fronted by James Owen, has taken a clear lead with 22.87 per cent of Saturday’s vote with 5277 first preference votes.
Mr Owen said he believed clear, consistent messaging about looking after the community had resonated with voters.
“I was here for the community and wanted to see outcomes for the people of Tweed, particularly around things like the border issues we’ve had and the challenges we’ve had around Covid,” Mr Owen said.
He said avoiding playing politics and being responsive to the 100s of people who contacted him daily also helped his campaign.
Mr Owen now plans to run for mayor.
“I owe it to everyone who has supported me to put my hand up,” he said.
“I hope my fellow councillors recognise that and when it comes to voting for the mayor on merit and based on what the community have said.”
Incumbent Mayor Chris Cherry looks to keep her seat with the next highest votes so far at 2901 votes for group D or 12.57 per cent.
She is followed by deputy mayor Reece Byrnes’s group L, Labor, with 11.33 per cent or 2614 votes.
A newcomer looking likely to join the ranks is Meredith Dennis with group B taking 8.97 per cent of first preference votes totalling 2069 votes.
Ms Dennis said the response from voters so far was “absolutely fantastic” and it had been great to see so many people she’d cared for at Wedgetail out at the polling booths.
“I’m not getting ahead of myself, I don’t want to jinx anything,” she said.
“But I’m very excited if it does happen.”
With 26,962 votes already counted the Tweed Shire Council will likely be made of James Owen, Chris Cherry, Reece Byrnes, Nola Firth, Meredith Dennis, Warren Polglase and Letitia Kelly.
The mayor will be elected by the councillors at a later date.
Vote counting continues today.
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