Bendigo votes: Nationals’ Andrew Lethlean in battle with Labor’s Lisa Chesters

Bendigo has become a key surprise of election night, with the Nationals candidate mounting a strong challenge against a four-term Labor incumbent. See how the votes are falling.

Bendigo Nationals candidate Andrew Lethlean and federal party leader David Littleproud outside the Bendigo Central polling booth on Saturday.

Bendigo has become a key surprise of election night, with the Nationals candidate mounting a strong challenge against a four-term Labor incumbent.

Lisa Chesters, who was first elected for Labor in 2013 and holds the seat with an 11.1 per cent margin, faces a bold bid from Bendigo-born businessman Andrew Lethlean.

Backed by a heavily resourced campaign — estimated to have cost in the vicinity of $600,000 — Mr Lethlean’s challenge appears to have caught Labor off guard. At polling booths across the electorate on Saturday, Nationals volunteers reportedly outnumbered Labor’s by a significant margin.

With primary votes from all 66 polling places counted, Ms Chesters received 33,070 votes (33.89 per cent) to Mr Lethlean’s 29,836 (30.57 per cent), The Greens’ Avery Barnett-Dacey’s 10,879 (11.15 per cent) and Matt Evans from the Liberals with 9832 (10.08 per cent). Combined, the Nationals and Liberals secured 40.65 per cent of the primary vote while Labor and the Greens together accounted for 45.04 per cent.

Heather Freeman, representing Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, picked up 4.66 per cent of primary votes with Wayne Taylor from the Legalise Cannabis Party securing 3.21 per cent and Evelyn Keetelaar from Family First 2.85 per cent.

The primary vote swing against Ms Chesters was 8.22 per cent.

With two-candidate preferred results in from seven of the 66 polling places — including the Bendigo and Jonortoun pre-poll voting centres, as well as mobile and hospital sites — Mr Lethlean leads Ms Chesters 52.98 per cent to 47.02 per cent. The result is expected to tighten — and potentially seesaw — as counting continues.

The Bendigo electorate covers 6178 square kilometres and takes in the Greater Bendigo City Council, Mount Alexander Shire Council, and part of the Campaspe, Macedon Ranges and Mitchell shire councils.

Labor has held the seat since 1998, with Ms Chesters elected at the 2013 federal election. Although held by the Liberals from 1972 and 1983 and from 1990 and 1998, Bendigo has not been held by the Nationals — then the Country Party — since 1949.