Labor holds firm in the Hunter as all four federal MPs re-elected

Labor has retained its hold over the Hunter region in the 2025 federal election, with all four sitting MPs Sharon Claydon (Newcastle), Meryl Swanson (Paterson), Pat Conroy (Shortland) and Dan Repacholi (Hunter), re-elected with expanded margins. The clean sweep came as Anthony Albanese led the Labor Party to a second term in government.

With a national two-party-preferred swing to Labor of approximately 3.5 per cent, the Hunter region mirrored the broader result, recording swings toward Labor in every electorate.

Newcastle: Labor landslide as Greens push into second

Labor’s Sharon Claydon comfortably retained Newcastle with over 70 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote. The Greens’ Charlotte McCabe placed second, overtaking Liberal candidate Asarri McPhee, who saw a decline in first-preference support.

Claydon has represented the seat since 2013. Her re-election extends Labor’s hold on Newcastle, a seat that has never been won by any other party since Federation.

• Charlotte McCabe (Greens) – Approx. 24.5% of the primary vote
• Asarri McPhee (Liberal) – Approx. 18.3%
• Saxon Rice (One Nation) – Just over 5%

Paterson: Swanson increases margin in three-cornered contest

In Paterson, Meryl Swanson was returned with a two-party-preferred result of around 57 to 43 per cent against Liberal challenger Laurence Antcliff, marking a swing of approximately 4–5 per cent toward Labor.

Swanson has held Paterson since 2016. The presence of multiple challengers, including independent Philip Penfold, the Mayor of Maitland, fractured the non-Labor vote.

• Laurence Antcliff (Liberal) – Finished second
• Philip Penfold (Independent) – 8.2%
• Tony Judge (Greens) – 8.7%
• Darren Brollo (One Nation) – 8.3%

Shortland: Conroy turns marginal seat safe

In Shortland, Pat Conroy extended his lead to approximately 61.3% two-party-preferred, a swing of 5.3 per cent toward Labor.

Conroy has represented the area since 2016 and currently serves as Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for International Development and the Pacific.

• Emma King (Liberal) – Approx. 26.1%
• Bryce Ham (Greens) – 11.8%
• Mark Watson (One Nation) – 8.6%

Hunter: Right-wing split helps Repacholi to a clear win

In the coal belt seat of Hunter, Labor’s Dan Repacholi was re-elected with nearly 60 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote. One Nation’s Stuart Bonds overtook Nationals candidate Sue Gilroy to become Repacholi’s final challenger after preferences.

Repacholi was first elected in 2022. The right-wing vote was split between Bonds and Gilroy, which helped to solidify Labor’s win.

• Stuart Bonds (One Nation) – 16.7% of primary vote
• Sue Gilroy (Nationals) – 17.9%
• Emily Brollo (Greens) – 7.6%
• Brett Duroux (Legalise Cannabis) – 5.6%

National outcome: Albanese returned as Prime Minister

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared victory after Labor secured an increased majority, with the Coalition suffering seat losses across several states. Labor is expected to hold around 83 seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives.

Liberal leader Peter Dutton lost his Queensland seat of Dickson, marking the first time in decades that a sitting Opposition Leader has failed to retain their seat.

Summary

The Hunter region has once again delivered a strong showing for Labor, reinforcing its position as the party’s industrial heartland. All four seats recorded swings to Labor, helping secure a second term for the Albanese Government.