A partial recount in the Melbourne electorate of Goldstein has confirmed that Liberal candidate Tim Wilson has defeated outgoing teal MP Zoe Daniel.
The Australian Electoral Commission reported a final margin of 175 votes in favour of Wilson following the recount, a decrease from the initially reported 260-vote lead. The AEC attributed part of the change to the correction of a data entry error.
This outcome concludes a turbulent month for both candidates, who had each declared victory at different points following the election.
Ms Daniel, who had called for a full recount, congratulated Mr Wilson on retaining the seat.
“It’s been a lengthy process, and after recounting approximately 85,000 votes—about 75 percent of those cast—the result came down to a very slim margin,” Daniel said.
“This incredibly tight race shows just how invested our community is in its future.”
Tim Wilson, who previously held the Goldstein seat from 2016 until his 2022 defeat, regains the position, with postal votes playing a decisive role in his comeback.
Zoe Daniel is the first of the so-called “teal” independents to lose her seat.
