One Nation is making an impact
This content was created in partnership with Google Trends.
With the retirement of long-standing Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, the upcoming battle for the seat in the Victorian election will be a barometer of the surge in support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party ahead of polling day.
Eight candidates have thrown their hats into the ring so far, prior to the nomination period closing on November 9th, 2026.
The overwhelming favourite to retain Benambra for the Liberal Party is Steve Martin, with the flow of preferences in the traditional ‘blue’ seat expected to be a significant factor in the final count.
However, most interest will focus on the impact One Nation has on the result with business owner Kellie Sheppard, a resident of Osbornes Flat, representing the party for the first time in the electorate.
The latest Google Trends data reveals that Victorian search interest in One Nation has far outweighed that of any other political party this year.
This enquiry has continued to surge in the lead-up to the election on November 25th peaking earlier this month when Pauline Hanson officially launched the broader state campaign, revealing a full slate of 128 candidates across every upper and lower house seat in Victoria.
Although the Liberals are expected to win Benambra comfortably, One Nation is tipped to poll well enough to garner the second highest share of the vote.
Locally, a forum for Benambra candidates - hosted by the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) forums in partnership with the Rural Press Club of Victoria - will be held at the Upper Murray Events Centre at the Corryong Recreation Reserve on Thursday November 19th at 7pm,
To date, candidates to confirm their attendance are Steve Martin (Liberals), Kellie Sheppard (One Nation) and Graham Parton (Greens).
The other candidates for the seat are Dr Lachie McKeeman (Community Independent), Tim Quilty (Libertarian Party), Mike Fuery (Animal Justice Party), Evette Pepper (Family First) and Alex Vangalen (Victorian Socialists).
Benambra is historically one of the tightest Liberal-held seats in Victoria, carrying a very slim 0.9 per cent margin based on the 2022 results. However, that narrow margin was largely driven by independent candidate, Jacqui Hawkins, coming within 777 votes of victory.
Because Hawkins is not running this time and the incumbent Bill Tilley is retiring, state-wide swings and new candidate dynamics are projected to factor heavily into the final preference flows
Mr Tilley has held the seat for nearly 20 years, having first been elected at the Victorian state election in November 2006.
He has been successfully re-elected four times, making him one of the region’s longest-serving representatives. He will complete his full term before officially retiring at the November election
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