Holdfast Bay council deputy mayor Jane Fleming preselected by SA Liberals in Gibson for 2026 state election
The deputy leader of an Adelaide council has been chosen for a tight southern suburbs contest at the next state election.
Holdfast Bay deputy mayor Jane Fleming will attempt to win back a southern suburbs seat for the Liberal Party at the next state election.
The party has announced Ms Fleming as its candidate for Gibson, just over a year out from the March 2026 poll.
It follows the defeat late last year of Holdfast Bay mayor Amanda Wilson in a by-election race for the neighbouring seat of Black.
Educator and father of two Alex Dighton won that seat for Labor in the wake of the resignation of former Liberal leader David Speirs.
Ms Fleming, who represents the Brighton ward of the City of Holdfast Bay, lives in Hove and runs a business on Brighton Rd.
She said she was motivated to run for politics to have an impact on cost pressures on South Australians, and to improve public services.
“I’ve experience first-hand the struggles businesses face with increasing costs, and I want to do something about it,” she said.
“I’ve also personally experienced the struggle of buying a home, moving back in with my
parents for years in my 30s while I worked hard to save a deposit, as too many South
Australians have had to do.
“My personal experience with severe endometriosis, supporting my uncle who was stuck in
our hospital system for four months, and being a carer for my former partner has also fuelled
my passion to fix our broken health system.”
The electorate of Gibson, currently held by Labor MP Sarah Andrews on a margin of 2.5 per cent, spans suburbs including Somerton Park, Brighton, Hove, Marion, Warradale, Oaklands Park, Sturt and Seacombe Gardens.
On Friday, the Liberals also revealed their pick for a federal election contest in the safe Labor seat of Spence.
The party has preselected Institute of Public Affairs senior director, Daniel Wild.
The electorate of Spence covers suburbs north of Adelaide’s including Salisbury, Elizabeth, Munno Para and Gawler.
Spence is currently held by Labor MP Matt Burnell by a significant margin of 12.9 per cent.
Mr Wild has worked at the IPA, a conservative think-tank, for six years, where he currently serves as its deputy executive director.
A Liberal Party spokesman said Mr Wild has had prior experience with the federal government, previously working for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as a macroeconomic policy adviser and with the Department of Finance.
Mr Wild spoke of his humble beginning in Adelaide.
“The suburbs of Adelaide gave me a great start in life, where I worked for local businesses, from washing cars in a car yard, to working with my father on major industrial sites,“ Mr Wild said.
The born and bred South Australian used his preselection to draw attention to the current cost-of-living crisis.
“Here in Spence, and across South Australia we are paying the highest power prices in the nation, which flows on to affect our soaring grocery bills,” he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is yet to pull the trigger on the Federal election which must be held before May 17.
Some pundits are predicting an early April election is more likely, with April 5 or April 12 suggested as possible dates.
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Originally published as Holdfast Bay council deputy mayor Jane Fleming preselected by SA Liberals in Gibson for 2026 state election
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