Ryde by-election: Justin Li secures almost 50 per cent of vote in Labor stronghold seat vacated by Jerome Laxale

Results from a council by-election showdown between a prominent Liberal identity and a staffer of NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has stunned members of both political parties. Find out why.

Labor’s vote has collapsed in a hotly contested council by-election as a Liberal candidate celebrates victory in a seat long-held by Labor stalwart Jerome Laxale.

Justin Li is on track to becoming Ryde’s newest councillor after the Liberal candidate secured 47 per cent of first preference votes from Saturday’s west ward by-election.

The results are a blow to Labor whose candidate Jananie Janarthana has managed just 25 per cent of the vote, current results show.

Ms Janarathana – who works as a community engagement officer for NSW Labor leader Chris Minns – ran on a platform advocating action on affordable housing and climate change.

Current results show Labor’s vote in the ward has collapsed from 40 per cent of the first preference vote at the last council election in the ward held just 10 months ago in December.

Liberal candidate Justin Li has secured almost 50 per cent of first preferences.

The by-election was triggered by Jerome Laxale’s resignation as a Ryde councillor after he was elected as the new federal Labor Member for the seat of Bennelong at May’s election.

The results have buoyed NSW Liberal insiders with one party source saying it could serve as a litmus test for the upcoming state election in March.

Labor candidate Jananie Janarthana.

The Ryde seat, currently held by popular Liberal MP Victor Dominello, will be a key territory for the party to retain after Mr Dominello announced he would resign from politics in March.

The Northern District Times understands the preselection contest to replace Mr Dominello has been narrowed down to Ryde’s Liberal mayor Jordan Lane and former City of Sydney councillor Craig Chung, who have both been nominated for preselection.

Members from both sides of politics say the 15 per cent swing towards the Liberals at Saturday’s by-election was indicative of Mr Li’s prominence in the community and familiarity among voters.

The long-term local has previously served as a Ryde councillor and is known for running the popular Humans of Eastwood Facebook page.

Mr Li’s campaign included opposition to the redevelopment of a TG Millner Oval – as seen here in a concept image.

Justin Li pictured with Ryde Mayor Jordan Lane on the campaign trail.

Mr Li said the results could also reflect the tangible election pledges he made to voters during the campaign.

“I think some of our opponents ran on vague motherhood statements such as ‘vote for a progressive council’. Voters are quite discerning and I think the results reflected that,” he said.

“We were clear to residents what we were promising them – keeping council rates low, the efforts we’ll take to save TG Millner Oval in Marsfield from redevelopment and campaigning for new traffic lights in Eastwood.

“We knew it was a safe Labor seat and we had to earn every single vote.”

Jerome Laxale supported Jananie Janarthana during the campaign.

Ms Janarathana has congratulated Mr Li on the result and rejected suggestions the swing against Labor could reflect her work as a staffer for NSW Opposition leader Chris Minns.

“I don’t think me being a staffer has anything to do with this. It was my local branch that nominated me and I’ve only been working for (Mr Minns) for the last month,” she said.

“Justin is an established person in the community and if this was a general council election we would have had enough votes for me to become a councillor in the ward.”

Ryde mayor Jordan Lane – who supported Mr Li on the campaign – said the results exceeded all expectations.

“People were enthused about having Justin return and I think it’s also a bit of a repudiation of Labor running a Chris Minns staffer as a candidate,” he said.

“Justin has true community links and whether you’re a Liberal voter or not I think it’s an endorsement of the substantial positive reform that is occurring at both a local and state level.”

Jerome Laxale rejected suggestions the vote could signal a broader shift away from Labor among voters in the community.

“Bennelong has a long history of voting for people they know and I think drawing connections to other levels of government is taking it too far,” he said.

“We put up a new candidate who I think given the circumstances did an amazing job.”

The by-election was the third time voters in the west ward headed to the polls in the space of 10 months after December’s local government election and this year’s federal election.

Ryde Council had to spend $431,000 funding the by-election.

More than 17,000 residents from suburbs including Denistone, Eastwood, Macquarie Park, Marsfield, Melrose Park and West Ryde voted in the poll.

The official results from the by-election are still being finalised and are expected to be formally declared by November 1.