Liberals claim victory in Nepean byelection ahead of state poll
Key takeaways
- Prefer the Guardian on GoogleThe Liberals have claimed victory in a key Victorian byelection seen as a preview of what to expect when the rest of the state hits the polls in November.
- As counting continued in the Mornington peninsula seat of Nepean, the Liberal candidate, Anthony Marsh, appeared to be in a commanding position in a significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson.
- With close to 80% of the vote counted, Marsh had 38.5% of the primary vote, and 63.4% on a two-candidate basis.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Anthony Marsh and Liberal opposition leader, Jess Wilson, eat some sausages from the bbq during the 2026 Nepean byelection at the Sea Scouts Hall polling station in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula Photograph: Ian Currie/AAPView image in fullscreen Anthony Marsh and Liberal opposition leader, Jess Wilson, eat some sausages from the bbq during the 2026 Nepean byelection at the Sea Scouts Hall polling station in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula Photograph: Ian Currie/AAPLiberal party Liberals claim victory in Nepean byelection ahead of state pollAnthony Marsh appears to be in commanding position in significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson
Prefer the Guardian on GoogleThe Liberals have claimed victory in a key Victorian byelection seen as a preview of what to expect when the rest of the state hits the polls in November.
As counting continued in the Mornington peninsula seat of Nepean, the Liberal candidate, Anthony Marsh, appeared to be in a commanding position in a significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson.