Campbelltown byelection: Labor win

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Ben Gilholme has won the Campbelltown Council byelection held today.
Ben Gilholme has won the Campbelltown Council byelection held today.

The Labor Party has taken a stranglehold on Campbelltown Council after winning today’s byelection to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Fred Borg.

Its candidate, Ben Gilholme, 25, is certain to be elected after receiving more than 45 percent of the total vote counted to open up a big gap between himself and Josh Cotter, the 23 year old Community First Team candidate.

With almost 60,000 ballots counted a few minutes ago, Gilholme, 25, had received 25,088 first preference votes, with Cotter on 16,979 and the other independent candidate, Gary Potts, in third place with 13,463 votes.

Gilholme was experiencing a mixture of emotions when he spoke to the Voice and we asked him how he felt.

He said he was “still just ecstatic with how things have turned out’’, but also “cautiously optimistic’’ about winning.

“I would like to thank everyone who helped out today handing how to vote cards at the polling booths,’’ Gilholme said.

“And I obviously want to thank everyone in the community who supported me when they voted today,’’ he said.

George Brticevic, the Labor Mayor of Campbelltown, who was with the victorious candidate tonight, told the Voice: “It appears to be a very positive result and we are very pleased with the  support of the community for the Labor Party here in Campbelltown once again.’’

Asked if anything would change now that Labor was certain to enjoy a majority in its own right in the 15 seat council, the mayor said “no’’.

“As we promised after the September election we will continue to be cohesive and inclusive,’’ Cr Brticevic told the Voice.

Josh Cotter was making his speech thanking his troops when the Voice called him tonight.

Conceding that he would not be getting elected – “no way we can catch Labor now’’ – Cotter said he was proud of his campaign.

“I think we did very well, and I want to thank everyone who supported me and those who helped me,’’ he said.

“And it was great to thrash Labor in Glen Alpine,’’ Cotter said of his own suburb, where he was almost 600 votes ahead of Labor.

Gary Potts, of the Totally Locally Committed group, said that considering what he was up against he received good support from the community.

“It puts us in good stead to win at least two seats, if not three, at the next general election in 2020,’’ Mr Potts said.

“Labor had so much more in resources; they even enlisted shadow ministers for their campaign,’’ he said.

“We had limited resources by comparison, so are very proud with what we did.’’

Josh Cotter: proud of my campaign
Josh Cotter: proud of my campaign
Gary Potts with volunteer helper Val at Ingleburn during the campaign.
We did very well considering our resources: Gary Potts with volunteer helper Val at Ingleburn during the campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

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