Labor’s Brian Mitchell is poised to return to the seat of Lyons with a swing of 0.8 per cent

Labor’s Brian Mitchell is poised to return to the seat of Lyons. Mr Mitchell has recorded a swing of 0.8 per cent in his favour, according to AEC figures. Independent candidate Jessica Whelan is looking to finish second in a six-candidate race.

Brian Mitchell Labor member for Lyons. Labor event at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

LABOR’S Brian Mitchell is poised to return to the seat of Lyons.

Mr Mitchell has recorded a swing of 0.8 per cent in his favour, according to AEC figures.

Independent Jessica Whelan is likely to finish second in a six-candidate race.

Her campaign was spectacularly derailed by revelation about Islamophobic social media posts. The Liberals said she was disendorsed — she said she resigned.

While Ms Whelan remained on the ticket as a Liberal candidate, Nationals candidate Deanna Hutchinson became the official Coalition pick.

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Mr Mitchell suffered a drop in his primary vote: down 4 percentage points to 37 per cent, Ms Whelan claimed 23 per cent of the primary votes, Ms Hutchinson, 16.

Mr Mitchell cautiously welcomed the result: “It appears that I have been re-elected,” he said.

“I don’t want to declare it at this stage, but it appears I will be back with the same majority or slightly higher,” he said.

Brian Mitchell Labor member for Lyons in centre with staff L-R Julie McVilly, Brett Maryniak, Darren Clark, Martyn Summers. Labor event at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre in Hobart. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

With regard to Labor’s more precarious position nationally, Mr Mitchell said “it’s not over yet”. “A lot of the pre-polls have yet to be counted,” he said.

“But we would be kidding ourselves if I said this was the result we wanted.

“It looks like a tough night for Labor”.

He said the result would be carefully dissected.

“We have a review after every election, and I imagine this review will be a deep one.”

Ms Whelan last night said she will not give up on politics

“I will continue to service my local community on the Council,” she said.

“And I won’t rule out any future attempts at state or federal levels as an independent.

“I feel like this is a huge achievement given my lack of political and campaign experience,” she said.

“Three weeks out from the election there was a smear campaign against me and I was completely left to my own devices,” she said.

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She was having a drink with a few friends in Hobart’s Macq01 last night, celebrating the fact she had seen the campaign through to the end.

“I’m having a drink because I got to the end of the campaign — a lot of people have told me they are so proud of me for continuing with the campaign.”

Lyons proved to be fertile ground for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party, picking up 8 per cent of the vote. The United Australia Party also took just more than 6 per cent of the vote.

The Greens vote was up slightly to 9.2 per cent.