Green candidate Mehreen Faruqi, National Perrin Davey pip Jim Molan for final Senate spots

It wasn’t enough to record one of the highest first preference votes for an MP in nation’s history.

Jim Molan is likely to put his hand up for NSW Liberal Arthur Sinodinos’ senate spot when the latter vacates his seat to take up the post of Australia’s Ambassador to the United States. Picture: Kym Smith

Liberal senator Jim Molan has officially missed out on a spot in the Senate despite recording one of the highest first preference votes for a single politician in Australian history.

The Australian Electoral Commission have officially declared the winners of the NSW senate seats today with the Nationals’ Perrin Davey and The Greens’ Mehreen Faruqi pipping Senator Molan to the last spots.

Senator Molan, a former major general in the Australian Army, conceded defeat last week despite running a major below the line campaign which saw him garner more than 130,000 votes.

The Liberal senator’s campaign almost imperilled Ms Davey’s campaign and could have left the NSW Nationals without a successful senate candidate for the first time in decades.

Tensions between the NSW Liberals and Nationals rose so high during the federal election campaign that former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce suggested at one point that Senator Molan’s campaign threatened the Coalition Agreement.

“This great result comes after a hard-fought federal election campaign and it defies the predictions of pundits who declared Perin would be defeated. More importantly, it means the people of rural and regional NSW will continue to have a strong voice in parliament,” a NSW Nationals spokesman said today.

“Determined to bring common sense and respect to the job, Perin is a fine replacement for retiring Senator John ‘Wacka’ Williams, who will officially hand over the reins on July 1.”

Senator Molan is likely to put his hand up for NSW Liberal Arthur Sinodinos’ senate spot when the latter vacates his seat to take up the post of Australia’s Ambassador to the United States.

Other potential candidates for that spot include defeated Gilmore candidate Warren Mundine, former federal Liberal MP Fiona Scott, Liberal Party vice-president Kent Johns and Catholic Schools NSW chief Dallas McInerney.