politics
One Nation Wins Federal Lower House Seat in Farrer By-Election
One Nation candidate secured 42.3 per cent of the primary vote in the Farrer by-election on Saturday, winning the seat as Liberal and Nationals candidates received around 10 per cent each. The result marks the party's first lower house seat in federal parliament. The win follows a surge in support after One Nation gained multiple seats in the recent South Australian state election.
The Sydney Morning HeraldAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
By 8.15pm on Saturday, just over two hours after polls closed, the party's candidate had claimed victory with 42.3 per cent of the primary vote, ahead of independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe on 25.7 per cent, with 58.8 per cent of the vote counted.
Liberal and Nationals candidates received around 10 per cent of the vote each. Both preferenced the One Nation candidate ahead of the independent, contributing to the outcome. The result comes less than two months after the party won multiple seats in the South Australian state election.
The win follows the resignation of the previous member after she lost the Liberal leadership. At the 2025 federal election the independent candidate had placed second with 43.8 per cent of the two-party preferred vote. One Nation's candidate at that election received 6.6 per cent.
The One Nation candidate said voters wanted representatives who would fight for them rather than rule over them. He added that people in the electorate were doing it tough. A former Nationals MP stated that the Australian people had roared. The result has been described within the party as a shift from the political fringe toward the mainstream.
By-Elections have tended to favour the incumbent party. In the last 25 years there have been 26 by-elections, with only four previously won by a party or person that did not already hold the seat. The loss represents a further setback for the Coalition, which has been in opposition since the 2022 election.
One Nation's performance in the electorate, including in its largest city, indicates broadening support in both regional and urban areas within the seat.
