Reece, Koutoufides ahead in lord mayoral race after the counting of tens of thousands of ballots

Lord Mayor Nick Reece is ahead in the race for the city’s top job after the counting of thousands of ballots, but Carlton great Anthony Koutoufides could claim victory in the final quarter.

Nick Reece has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for Melbourne lord mayor after the counting of tens of thousands of ballots, but Carlton great Anthony Koutoufides could claim victory in the final quarter of the high-stakes council election.

Early results obtained by the Herald Sun on Monday show Mr Reece, who became Lord Mayor in July after Sally Capp stepped down, has recorded a primary vote of 24.3 per cent which, with preferences, could be enough to secure him and running mate Roshena Campbell a four-year term.

Mariam Riza.

The Liberal ticket headed by business consultant Mariam Riza – the first lord mayoral candidate to be endorsed by the party – made a surprisingly strong showing with 14.5 per cent of the primary vote.

However, Koutoufides remains Mr Reece’s greatest threat on 14 per cent, with the allocation of preferences to significantly influence the final result.

The former Blue stands to benefit from the strong showing by the Liberals, with the Liberals preferencing Team Kouta ahead of Team Reece on their how-to-vote cards.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece and Carlton great Anthony Koutoufides at a Carlton game at the MCG in August. Picture: Instagram

The results also show Arron Wood, a former deputy lord mayor who was considered Mr Reece’s main rival, with only 10.4 per cent of the primary vote, while the Greens’ vote slipped almost five percentage points from their 2020 figure of 16.7 per cent.

Labor (6.6 per cent) and sitting councillor Jamal Hakim (3.9 per cent) have also polled below expectations, while businessman Gary Morgan improved on his 2020 showing to record 5 per cent.

Arron Wood and his running mate Erin Deering. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A Team Reece spokesman said: “We are pleased that our primary vote is well ahead of any others in a Melbourne Cup field of candidates.

“However, this race will come down to preferences. There is still a long way to go.”

A Team Kouta spokesman said it was “encouraged by the early results”.

“But it’s still the first quarter and there’s lots to play out,” he said.

By 4.30pm on Monday, more than 57,000 primary votes for lord mayor and deputy lord mayor were tallied by VEC officials, overseen by scrutineers from each ticket.

According to the VEC, 136,563 voters are on the roll in the City of Melbourne.

In 2020, more than 90,000 ballots were returned from across the municipality.

Anthony Koutoufides. Picture: Wayne Taylor

In the separate ballot for the nine councillor positions, the Liberals could secure two spots on the new-look council – the Victorian Liberals’ former state treasurer Owen Guest and Chinese language teacher You Li Liston.

Mr Guest said the Liberals’ result demonstrated the anti-Labor sentiment sweeping the country.

“It bodes well for the Liberal Party’s prospects at the next state election,” he said.

“People are demanding good governance which has been lost over many years in Melbourne and Victoria.”

Gladys Liu, a former federal Liberal MP who ran for Team Kouta, is also set to return to public office.

Team Reece could also score two councillors with veteran councillor Kevin Louey a certainty and Queen Victoria Market trader Mark Scott a strong chance too.

Labor’s Davydd Griffiths has recorded a poor result and his tenure as councillor could be over in a disappointing result for the party, but the Greens’ Olivia Ball is set to return.

Residents 3000 president Rafael Camillo, who ran on Mr Morgan’s ticket, could also secure a position.

Tens of thousands of ballots posted on Thursday and Friday remain en route to the VEC and can be received and accepted until Friday.

The official results are not expected to be declared for several days.

Originally published as Reece, Koutoufides ahead in lord mayoral race after the counting of tens of thousands of ballots