Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt has lost the seat of Melbourne to Labor candidate Sarah Witty, analysts project.
The seat has swung towards Labor by more than 8%, according to The Guardian, with the ABC, Sky News, and independent analyst William Bowe now calling the race for Witty.
Bandt has held Melbourne since 2010, and has led the Greens since 2020. He will be the second major party leader to lose his seat this election, following Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton’s loss to Labor’s Ali France.
Witty is the CEO of the charity The Nappy Collective, which provides nappies to families in need, and has raised funds for affordable housing through the non-profit Homes for Homes. She ran for the Yarra City Council in 2024, but was unsuccessful.
Labor leads the two-candidate preferred count by 52.7% to 47.3% in the district, as of 4:30 pm (AEST). The seat’s two-candidate preferred votes are currently being recounted, as the Australian Electoral Commission put forward an incorrect final two candidates on election night.
While Bandt is ahead in the first preferences count, Witty has benefited significantly from preference flows.
The Greens remain ahead in one seat, with sitting Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown leading the Liberals’ Maggie Forrest in Western Brisbane’s Ryan.
Labor’s incoming majority will now include at least 87 seats, the ABC projects.
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