WHILE the trend suggests the Mildura electorate will be returning to The Nationals, Member for Mildura Ali Cupper was awaiting the final result before conceding.
On Saturday night, Ms Cupper spoke to her Facebook followers to let them know “some good news and some bad news”.
Going live after the majority of the local votes had been counted, Ms Cupper acknowledged it was likely she would not be re-elected as MP.
She told supporters that preferences were not going her way.
After preferences, Ms Cupper had won only eight of the 35 polling locations, plus pre-polling.
“The preferences absolutely just went sideways and there was just a funnel of preferences from all over the place straight to the National Party,” she told supporters.
“We are pretty confident of the trend, so I just wanted to say to all of my supporters, who I dearly love, and to this electorate that I dearly love, it looks like we are headed towards a loss.”
She said the good news was she had received the most primary votes, which were “awesome all over the locality”.
Ms Cupper received the most first-preference votes in all Mildura polling booths, Red Cliffs, Merbein, Irymple, Nichols Point, Cabarita, Cardross, Koorlong, Wycheproof, Birchip and Murrayville.
She also received the most first-preference early votes, taking her primary votes to 11,498, ahead of Nationals candidate Jade Benham’s 8534.
Ms Cupper said she had received primary votes in places “where traditionally no one would be voting for me”.
“We did an amazing job and that really shows the level of goodwill and relationships we built and the acknowledgement of all of the compelling results we achieved that we are so proud of,” she said.
“We had an amazing four years and we showed how it’s done in terms of grassroots local politics and being really proud and standing up for what we are worth in this beautiful, isolated part of the state that I am so proud to call home.”
Ms Cupper said her live stream was not a concession speech, as there were still votes to be counted, but either way she felt privileged by the opportunity to represent the Mildura electorate.
“We have achieved so much and I think that history will judge us well in terms of what we have done,” she said.
“I will forever be Mildura’s first female MP and that is such a privilege and thank you for every ounce of support and encouragement and love and everything that you have given.”
Ms Cupper said she would release a formal statement once the official outcome was released by the VEC.
