2025 Kiama state by-election

Last updated

2025 Kiama state by-election
Flag of New South Wales.svg
←  2023 13 September 2025 2027  →
Electoral district of Kiama in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Registered62,486 [1]
Votes counted
77.6%
as of 19 September 2025, 10:30 AEST
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Labor Placeholder.png
Liberal Placeholder.png
IND
Candidate Katelin McInerney Serena CopleyKate Dezarnaulds
Party Labor Liberal Independent
Primary  vote17,42912,2764,994
Percentage37.41%26.35%10.72%
SwingIncrease2.svg 3.01%Increase2.svg 14.25%Increase2.svg 10.72
TPP 60.3%39.7%
TPP swingDecrease2.svg 9.4%Increase2.svg 9.4%
 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
NewSouthWalesGreensLogo.svg
LCA
SFF
CandidateTonia GrayDon FuggleFelix Nelson
Party Greens Legalise Cannabis Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
Primary  vote3,8052,3762,369
Percentage8.175.105.09
SwingDecrease2.svg 2.93Increase2.svg 5.10Increase2.svg 5.09
MP before election

Gareth Ward
Independent

Elected MP

Katelin McInerney
Labor

The 2025 Kiama state by-election was held on 13 September 2025 to elect the member for Kiama in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the resignation of independent MP Gareth Ward.

Contents

Ward was found guilty on 25 July 2025 of sexually abusing two men. [2] He was scheduled to be expelled from parliament on 8 August 2025, but resigned the same day. [3]

Thirteen candidates stood in the 2025 Kiama state by-election. [4] Labor candidate Katelin McInerney was projected to have won the by-election at 7:45 pm AEST on election night. [5]

Background

Resignation of previous MP

The previous member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, a former Liberal Party Minister turned independent MP, was convicted on charges of sexually abusing two young men. Ward resigned shortly before a vote to expel him was to be proposed by the government in the Legislative Assembly. [6] [7] [8]

Previous results

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2023 New South Wales Legislative Assembly election § Kiama.[ edit ]
2023 New South Wales state election: Kiama [9] [10] [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Gareth Ward 20,31638.79+38.79
Labor Katelin McInerney 18,01034.39+6.19
Liberal Melanie Gibbons 6,30112.03−41.56
Greens Tonia Gray5,83311.14−0.74
Sustainable Australia John Gill1,9113.65+0.73
Total formal votes52,37196.90+0.07
Informal votes1,6783.10−0.07
Turnout 54,04989.82−1.28
Notional two-party-preferred count
Labor Katelin McInerney 24,56469.73+31.74
Liberal Melanie Gibbons 10,66530.27−31.74
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Gareth Ward 23,01850.76+50.76
Labor Katelin McInerney 22,32949.24+11.25
Member changed to Independent from Liberal  

Key dates

Some important dates for this by-election included: [12]

Candidates

13 candidates stood in the election. [4] The table below shows candidates according to the NSW Electoral Commission, listed in the order they appeared on the ballot. [12]

PartyCandidateBackground
  Greens Tonia Gray [13] Former City of Shoalhaven councillor and candidate for Kiama in 2023
  Liberal Serena Copley [14] Trainer and former City of Shoalhaven councillor
  Independent Andrew Thaler [13] [15] Snowy Monaro Regional councillor, candidate for the 2019 New South Wales state election in Monaro, and 2022 and 2025 federal elections in Eden-Monaro.
  Independent Roger Woodward [12] Accountant and candidate for Berowra in the 2025 federal election and Hornsby in 2024
Legalise Cannabis Don Fuggle [16] Activist
  Sustainable Australia Ken Davis [17] Mental health professional
  Independent Lisa Cotton [18] [12] Community advocate
  Independent Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu [19] IT developer
  Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Felix Nelson [13] Land manager and Army veteran
  Libertarian Joshua Beer [20] Liberal candidate for Lake Macquarie in 2023
  Animal Justice Ellie Robertson [12] Perennial candidate
  Independent Kate Dezarnaulds [21] Small business owner and candidate for Gilmore in the 2025 federal election
  Labor Katelin McInerney [22] [13] Journalist and candidate for Kiama in 2023

Family First intended to stand Kyle Napoleoni as the party's candidate, but his nomination was disqualified for not meeting NSW Electoral Commission requirements. [23] [13]

Results

2025 Kiama state by-election [1] [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Katelin McInerney 18,62237.32+2.93
Liberal Serena Copley13,22626.51+14.48
Independent Kate Dezarnaulds5,22510.47+10.47
Greens Tonia Gray4,0748.17–2.97
Legalise Cannabis Don Fuggle2,5505.11+5.11
Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Felix Nelson2,5435.10+5.10
Libertarian Joshua Beer8951.79+1.79
Independent Lisa Cotton6761.35+1.35
Animal Justice Ellie Robertson6221.25+1.25
Independent Andrew Thaler 5441.09+1.09
Independent Roger Woodward4290.86+0.86
Sustainable Australia Ken Davis4200.84–2.81
Independent Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu690.14+0.14
Total formal votes49,89596.16−0.74
Informal votes1,9953.84+0.74
Turnout 51,89083.04−6.78
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Katelin McInerney 23,31360.19–9.54
Liberal Serena Copley15,42139.81+9.54
Labor gain from Independent Swing –9.54

Results are not final. Last updated on 29 September 2025 at 9:00 pm.

References

  1. 1 2 "LA - Check Count First Preference District Summary - Kiama". NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  2. ↑ Fuller, Kelly; Fernandez, Tim (25 July 2025). "NSW MP Gareth Ward found guilty of sexually abusing two young men". ABC News . Archived from the original on 5 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  3. ↑ Clark, David (8 August 2025). "Gareth Ward resigns from NSW Parliament". Wave FM. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 Fuller, Kelly (12 September 2025). "Kiama by-election could signal voter mood across NSW". ABC Illawarra. ABC News. Archived from the original on 12 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  5. ↑ nswpol [@nswpol_au] (13 September 2025). "BREAKING: Labor wins Kiama by-election" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 13 September 2025. Retrieved 13 September 2025– via Twitter. Three leading psephologists, Kevin Bonham, William Bowe and Ben Raue, have all called the result by 7:45 PM.
  6. ↑ Fuller, Kelly (9 August 2025). "Conviction, controversies and the collapse of Gareth Ward's Liberal career". ABC News . Archived from the original on 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Viñales, Pablo; Lewis, Alexander (8 August 2025). "MP Gareth Ward resigns ahead of NSW parliament vote to expel convicted sex offender". ABC News. Archived from the original on 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Sibthorpe, Clare; Schultz, Amber; McSweeney, Jessica; and Smith, Alexandra (25 July 2025). "Calls for NSW MP to resign after sexual assault convictions". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  9. ↑ LA First Preference: Kiama, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  10. ↑ LA Two Candidate Preferred: Kiama, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Two Candidate Preferred (TCP) Analytical Tool: Kiama, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "2025 Kiama State by-election". NSW Electoral Commission. 29 August 2025. Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Three more candidates enter race for Kiama by-election". The Kiama Bugle. Regional Media Group. 21 August 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  14. ↑ Gilbert, Romy and McGuirk-Scolaro, Mikayla (15 August 2025). "Young Liberals expel Gareth Ward as party announces Kiama candidate". ABC News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  15. ↑ McSweeney, Jessica (21 August 2025). "Three women are running for NSW Parliament. A male serial pest wants to stop them" . The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 21 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  16. ↑ "Kiama NSW - By-Election". Legalise Cannabis Party. Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW. 24 August 2025. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  17. ↑ "2025 Kiama By-election - 13 September 2025". Sustainable Australia Party. Burlington Street Crows Nest NSW. Ken Davis for Kiama. Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  18. ↑ "Lisa Cotton | Your Local Community Advocate". Lisa Cotton. Primbee NSW. 29 August 2025. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  19. ↑ "The Loudest Megaphone in the Country". Cyrille Jeufo Keuheu. Wentworth Avenue, Mascot NSW. 29 August 2025. Archived from the original on 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  20. ↑ Whalan, Mark (21 August 2025). "KCR news transcript". Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025– via Facebook. Kate Dezarnaulds has also nominated as a Community Independent with Joshua Beer announcing as running as a Libertarian after previously running in Lake Macquarie for the Liberals in 2023. It is not known if Joshua Beer will be on the ballot with LIB after his name.
  21. ↑ Suttor, Paul (12 August 2025). "Kiama by-election announced for 13 September". The Kiama Bugle. Regional Media Group. Archived from the original on 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  22. ↑ Humphries, Glen (14 August 2025). "'A little bit nervous': Labor's Katelin McInerney back for second tilt at Kiama" . Illawarra Mercury . Australian Community Media. Archived from the original on 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  23. ↑ Green, Antony (28 August 2025). "Why does NSW have a 12-month Delay on Registered Parties being granted the Benefits of Registration?". Antony Green's Election Blog. Archived from the original on 28 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  24. ↑ "LA - Check Count TCP District Summary - Kiama". NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 September 2025.

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