2026 Newcastle lord mayoral by-election
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18 April 2026
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A by-election was held on 18 April 2026 to elect the lord mayor of Newcastle.[1] The vacancy was triggered by the resignation of Lord Mayor Dr Ross Kerridge to focus on his health. Nominations for the by-election closed on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.[2] Independent candidate Gavin Morris was elected with over 51% of the first preference vote.[3]
Previous results
Newcastle is a city that is traditionally dominated by the Labor Party. In July 2024, after losing an internal party pre-selection for the lord mayoralty, local anaesthetist Dr. Ross Kerridge announced that he intended to resign from the party and run as an independent. In that year's local government election, Kerridge won the Lord Mayoral election.[4] In February 2026, Kerridge announced his intention to resign due to side-effects of recent cancer treatment.[5][6]
Ward 1 Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor Charlotte McCabe announced that she would run for the mayoralty as the Greens candidate.[7][8]
Former NBN news presenter and weatherman, Gavin Morris, announced he would run as an independent; outgoing Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge endorsed Morris.[9]
Ward 4 Liberal Councillor and former Deputy Lord Mayor Callum Pull announced that he would not nominate for the by-election. He endorsed fellow Liberal and Ward 2 Councillor Jenny Barrie.[10][9] Barrie was later endorsed by the party as the Liberal candidate.[11]
Ward 1 Councillor and former Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen announced his intention to run for Labor Party pre-selection.[12] He was later endorsed by the party as their candidate.[13][14]
Before nominations closed, Stephen O'Brien announced he would stand as Socialist Alliance candidate, and Milton Caine announced he would stand as an independent.[15]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Ross Kerridge | 35,350 | 34.47 | +34.47 | |
| Labor | Nuatali Nelmes | 32,759 | 31.94 | –9.96 | |
| Greens | Charlotte McCabe | 15,656 | 15.27 | +1.07 | |
| Liberal | Callum Pull | 13,167 | 12.84 | +1.14 | |
| Independent | Milton Caine | 2,965 | 2.89 | +2.89 | |
| Socialist Alliance | Steve O'Brien | 2,662 | 2.60 | +0.7 | |
| Total formal votes | 102,559 | 96.35 | –0.96 | ||
| Informal votes | 3,890 | 3.65 | +0.96 | ||
| Turnout | 106,449 | 84.21 | +1.16 | ||
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| Independent | Ross Kerridge | 42,169 | 51.68 | +51.68 | |
| Labor | Nuatali Nelmes | 39,426 | 48.32 | –11.68 | |
| Independent gain from Labor | |||||