Teal Independent Boele Claims Historic Bradfield Victory After Recount Overturns Liberal Win
Teal independent Nicolette Boele officially won the ultra-tight Sydney seat of Bradfield on Wednesday, defeating Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian by just 26 votes after a comprehensive recount overturned the initial election result.
The Australian Electoral Commission declared Boele the winner following a painstaking recount of more than 112,000 ballots that began last Monday. The initial count had shown Kapterian winning by eight votes.
Speaking at a press conference following the declaration, Boele said she was "really looking forward to getting started on the job of giving people in Bradfield a really clear voice in our federal parliament."
The victory marks a historic shift for the traditionally safe Liberal seat, which had been held by one party for 75 years until Boele's breakthrough.
"This has been such a close race because this seat, Bradfield, has been in the hands of one party for 75 years," Boele told reporters. "We ran in 2022 and made the seat marginal. And this time around, I think people really wanted their voice heard and they wanted a choice that could deliver them better outcomes in Parliament."
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Electoral Process Details:
Recount involved more than 60 voting booths across Bradfield
177 votes discarded as informal during verification process
Only two voters marked off roll twice, eliminating duplicate voting concerns
Australian Electoral Commission expressed confidence in final result
Key Policy Priorities: Boele outlined her parliamentary agenda focusing on issues she said resonated with Bradfield voters: • Affordable housing initiatives • Cost of living relief measures
• Clean energy and climate action programs • Democratic reform agendas
"These are the things that we've heard from the people at Bradfield and these are the things that I'm going to take and advocate for in this next parliament," she said.
Sky News Chief Election Analyst Tom Connell called the seat for Boele on Wednesday morning after the recount showed her gradually overtaking Kapterian's tally. The comprehensive recount included re-examination of first preferences, informal ballots and preference redistribution.
Boele, backed by Climate 200, expressed confidence in the electoral process while acknowledging potential legal challenges ahead.
"I have every confidence in the process that the Electoral Commission has taken out and today's result," she said. "Whether or not there is an appeal is not in my power and that's up to the other side."
The Liberal Party retains legal options to challenge the outcome in the Court of Disputed Returns. Connell noted that margins this close have been successfully challenged in courts previously.
Kapterian was recently named shadow assistant minister for technology and the digital economy. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley will need to find her replacement if the result stands.
Historic Significance: The victory represents multiple firsts for Bradfield:
First independent representative since the seat's establishment
First female representative in the electorate's history
End of 75 years of single-party control
"Whichever way it was going to go, Ms Kapterian or me, we have our first female representative in Bradfield as well," Boele noted. "And for the first time in 75 years or since this seat has been established, we are independent."
The seat was previously held by retiring Liberal MP Paul Fletcher, who was first elected in 2009. Boele's success continues the Teal independent movement's momentum, which first made major inroads in 2022 by targeting traditionally safe Liberal seats.
In a written statement, Boele credited community engagement for her victory, highlighting 1,450 volunteers who supported her campaign.
"This result belongs to our community," she said. "Over 1,450 volunteers came together to reinvigorate our democracy from the ground up."
Should the result stand, the final parliamentary composition will show Labor holding 94 seats, the Coalition 43, Teals six, Greens one, with other independents and minor parties filling the remainder.
The Bradfield outcome was the last seat declared following the May 3 election, marking the end of one of the closest electoral contests in recent Australian political history.
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