Labor claims victory in Gilmore, taking it to 77-seat majority

Labor is on track for a 77-seat majority after claiming victory in another seat following a knife-edge contest.

Labor has claimed victory in the NSW south coast seat of Gilmore after a tight contest.

Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips is likely to retain her seat, which would take Labor to 77 seats in the House of Representatives.

Just 222 votes separated Ms Phillips and Liberal candidate Andrew Constance by the time almost every vote had been counted on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Constance is yet to concede defeat in the seat.

Labor’s Fiona Phillips is likely to retain Gilmore despite a swing against her. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

Former NSW state transport minister Andrew Constance trailed Ms Phillips by only 222 votes. Picture: Dylan Arvela

The Australian Electoral Commission is yet to officially call Gilmore for Labor. The AEC can receive postal votes up until Friday.

It is understood absentee ballots favoured Ms Phillips, allowing her to pull ahead of Mr Constance after he regained the lead.

The former NSW transport minister – who was outspoken during the 2019-2020 bushfire crisis – defied a 5.3 per cent national swing against the Coalition to record a 2.5 per cent swing towards him.

Mr Constance quit the state government in 2021 for the tilt at federal politics.

Ms Phillips’ win means the Albanese government will be able to govern in their own right and install a Labor MP as speaker of the House rather than an independent.

More to come

Originally published as Labor claims victory in Gilmore, taking it to 77-seat majority