Upcoming Hinchinbrook state by-election

Upcoming Hinchinbrook state by-election

←  2024 TBD (2025–26) 2028  →
Electoral district of Hinchinbrook in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
First party Second party   Candidate Mark Molachino Wayde Chiesa Party Katter's Australian Liberal National   Third party Fourth party   Candidate TBA Lisa Buchtmann Party Labor One Nation
MP before election Nick Dametto Katter's Australian Elected MP TBD

A by-election for the electoral district of Hinchinbrook in the Queensland Legislative Assembly will be held in late 2025 or early 2026, following the resignation of Katter's Australian Party (KAP) MP Nick Dametto. ^{[1] [2]}

Dametto, who had served as the member for Hinchinbrook since 2017, announced his resignation on 26 September 2025 in order to contest a by-election for Townsville mayor. ^[3] Under Queensland law, candidates running for local government positions cannot be a member of a state or federal parliament. ^{[4] [5]}

Background

See also: Electoral results for the district of Hinchinbrook

2024 election results

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 Queensland state election § Hinchinbrook.[ edit ]

2024 Queensland state election: Hinchinbrook ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Katter's Australian	Nick Dametto	15,351	46.42	+3.88
	Liberal National	Annette Swaine	9,331	28.22	+3.28
	Labor	Ina Pryor	4,639	14.03	−5.41
	One Nation	Ric Daubert	1,523	4.60	−2.52
	Legalise Cannabis	Kevin Wheatley	1,181	3.57	+3.57
	Greens	Jon Kowski	1,044	3.16	−0.27
Total formal votes			33,069	96.57	+0.02
Informal votes			1,175	3.43	−0.02
Turnout			34,244	87.96	+0.97
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Katter's Australian	Nick Dametto	20,889	63.17	−1.59
	Liberal National	Annette Swaine	12,180	36.83	+1.59
	Katter's Australian hold		Swing	−1.59

Candidates

Party		Candidate	Background
	Katter's Australian	Mark Molachino	Former deputy mayor of Townsville
	Liberal National	Wayde Chiesa	Former RDA North Queensland CEO
	Labor	TBA
	One Nation	Lisa Buchtmann	Small business owner

Katter's Australian

On 8 October 2025, the KAP announced its candidate would be Mark Molachino, a former deputy mayor of Townsville who served as the councillor for Division 4 from 2016 until losing his seat in 2024. ^[7] Molachino was previously a member of the Labor Party. ^{[7] [8]}

Dametto resigned from the KAP to contest the mayoral by-election as an independent. ^[9] He has not endorsed a candidate in the Hinchinbrook by-election, saying "I don't really care if it's Katter that holds that seat afterwards, or the LNP or Labor Party, who knows, independent". ^[10]

Liberal National

Wayde Chiesa, the former Regional Development Australia (RDA) Townsville and North West Queensland CEO, was preselected as the Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate on 14 October 2025. ^[11]

Others

The Labor Party will contest the by-election. ^[12]

Pauline Hanson's One Nation announced Lisa Buchtmann, a small business owner and former Australian Army truck driver, as its candidate on 15 October 2025. ^[13]

See also

• 2025 Townsville mayoral by-election

References

1. Messenger, Andrew (26 September 2025). "Controversial Queensland mayor Troy Thompson resigns after corruption inquiry". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
2. Raue, Ben (2 October 2025). "Hinchinbrook by-election incoming". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
3. Charles, Caitlan; Singh Mann, Arun; Mercer, Josh (26 September 2025). "Townsville mayor race heats up as suspended Thompson plans comeback". Townsville Bulletin. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
4. Loney, Georgia; Dansie, Meghan (26 September 2025). "Queensland MP to run in Townsville council by-election following mayor's resignation". ABC News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
5. Fellows, Taylah (26 September 2025). "Embattled Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson resigns, following an 18-month saga". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
6. "Hinchinbrook – QLD Electorate, Candidates, Results". abc.net.au. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
7. McGuire, Nikita (8 October 2025). "Mark Molachino announces Katter's Australian Party candidacy for Hinchinbrook by-election". Townsville Bulletin. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
8. "MARK RAYMOND MOLACHINO". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 14 February 2024. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
9. Davis, William; Strohfeldt, Catherine; Hall, James (26 September 2025). "Bid to boost power in Katter Country revealed in mayoral race". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
10. Burns, Chris (6 October 2025). "KAP courts Townsville's former deputy mayor Mark Molachino for Hinchinbrook". The Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
11. Bates, Cameron (15 October 2025). "Wayde Chiesa, former North Queensland RDA CEO named LNP by-election candidate for Hinchinbrook". Townsville Bulletin. Archived from the original on 15 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
12. Scott, Mackenzie (14 October 2025). "Labor bows to pressure on Hinchinbrook contest". The Australian. Archived from the original on 14 October 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
13. "Lisa Buchtmann to stand for One Nation in Hinchinbrook". Pauline Hanson's One Nation. 15 October 2025. Archived from the original on 15 October 2025. Retrieved 15 October 2025.