Snapshot of voters suggests shock upset in Dan Andrews’ Mulgrave seat

A snapsot of early voters in Mulgrave shows the Victorian Premier is at risk of losing the seat he has held since 2002.

A snapshot of early voters conducted for one of the challengers in Premier Daniel Andrews’ seat of Mulgrave suggests there could be a shock upset.

Ian Cook’s campaign manager Emily Coltraine on Wednesday said that a survey done at Mulgrave’s only early voting station last Saturday and on Monday showed Mr Andrews is at risk of losing the seat he has held since 2002.

With preferences factored in, a sample of 159 voters had Mr Cook on 57.2 per cent lead and the Premier on 42.8 per cent, she said.

“Exit polling is the best kind of polling. They are real people who have just voted,” Ms Coltraine said. “These figures seem to reflect what we are seeing on the streets.

“Over the last 13 weeks we have seen a growing chorus of Mulgrave voters saying they cannot face four more years with Andrews as Premier and their local member.

“We are also seeing Labor voters coming up to Ian saying they support Labor but can’t bring themselves to vote for Andrews after everything he has done.”

Ian Cook mounted a challenge against Dan Andrews in Mulgrave. Picture: Tim Carafa

Mr Cook, 62, who is one of more than a dozen candidates going up against the Premier, has been greeting voters at the Mulgrave early voting centre every day since pre-polling opened.

“Talking to people it’s clear this will be remembered as the ‘corruption election’,” Ms Coltraine said.

“They’ve had a gut full of the endless scandals and they know that getting rid of Andrews will help end corruption.”

Cook had to close down his family-owned catering business I Cook Foods as a result of the long-running “slug gate” scandal, which began when a Greater Dandenong Council health inspector was accused of planting a slug inside the facility, which the council denies.