Eden-Monaro votes: Labor’s McBain puts former bellwether electorate in ‘safe seat territory’

Labor could hold the former bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro by double digits with Kristy McBain claiming victory early on election night.

It was once regarded as one of Australia’s most well-known bellwether electorates, but Labor’s Kristy McBain feels she may have turned Eden-Monaro into a safe red seat.

Ms McBain first won the seat that wraps around the ACT and pushes down to the south east tip of NSW in a by-election in July 2020.

The former Bega Valley Shire mayor edged Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs by 0.9 per cent that time around, but with nearly three quarters of the vote counted, Ms McBain leads Jerry Nockles by more than 13,000 votes – a swing of over 8 per cent.

“The night of the by-election I stood up and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Ms McBain said in her victory speech.

“I wanted to ensure this time around that there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind about who had won the seat of Eden-Monaro.

“The hard work started from when I won the by-election to today, it didn’t start six weeks ago, it started 21 months ago.

“We have taken what was an ultra-marginal seat and hopefully we’ve landed in safe seat territory.”

Thank you Eden-Monaro!!

Posted by Kristy McBain on Saturday, May 21, 2022

Ms McBain said she had driven more than 100,000km since the by-election while thanking her family and looking forward to life as a part of the government.

“I want to thank my family first and foremost,” she said.

“At times they have to go days without seeing mum, but everything I do is to make sure your future is bigger and brighter. So to my three kids, Ruby, Max and Jack, and my amazingly supportive husband, Brad, thank you for everything.

“The [national] result shows us that Australia is keen for change and it’s sick and tired of a government that doesn’t stand up every day in best interest.

“[Australia is] not doing the best we can do, there is a better future and it’s a better future with an Albanese-Labor government.”