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David O'Byrne elected before Dean Winter as Nic Street, Simon Behrakis lose their seats

David O'Byrne elected before Dean Winter as Nic Street, Simon Behrakis lose their seats

Former Labor leader, now independent David O'Byrne, has been elected before current leader Dean Winter after preferences in Franklin, and two incumbent Liberals have lost their seats.
Preference distribution is continuing after the Tasmanian election on July 19, with the identity of the final few successful candidates becoming increasingly clear.
In Clark, Liberal candidate Marcus Vermey topped the party's ticket to be elected for the first time, leaving a contest between cabinet minister Madeleine Ogilvie and parliamentary secretary Simon Behrakis for the party's second seat in the electorate.
Despite finishing 670 primary votes behind Mr Behrakis, Ms Ogilvie — formerly a Labor MP, then independent, then Liberal — caught up on the preferences of fellow Liberal Jessica Barnett, and Liberal-turned-independent Elise Archer.
Ms Ogilvie will retain the second seat in Clark for the Liberals at the expense of Mr Behrakis, who was first elected in late 2023.
In Franklin, incumbent Liberal Nic Street has lost his seat, after the Liberals failed to retain their three seats in the electorate. Incumbent Liberals Eric Abetz and Jacquie Petrusma have been returned.
Former Labor leader David O'Byrne finished fourth in Franklin, ahead of current Labor leader Dean Winter elected fifth.
Mr Winter received 8,241 primary votes — just 18 more than Mr O'Byrne — who then overtook him on preferences.
Mr Winter did not achieve a quota — the number of votes a candidate needs to get elected — in his own right, which is unusual for a major party leader.
He received 8,241 primary votes — just 18 more than Mr O'Byrne — who then overtook him on preferences.
Mr Winter said he was happy to be re-elected.
"I'm really proud to represent Franklin, it's where I live, it's where I've lived for most of my life, I'm just proud to represent the people that live there," he said.
Mr O'Byrne said he would "work constructively" in the next parliament.
"Unlike the last election, when the Liberals were the only party to put their hand up to form government, the Labor party have also declared they will try to form government," he said.
Mr Winter was third in Franklin on primary votes, behind independent Peter George on 11,499 and Mr Abetz on 9,109, with Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff on 7,124.
Thursday's results do not change the numbers in the next lower house, with 33 out of 35 seats confirmed for parties or independents, and the Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) closing in on success in Lyons.
That would leave the seventh seat in Bass as the last to be confirmed, where Labor is in a contest with the SFF and Liberals. The result should be known on Friday.
If SFF win the last seat in Lyons, and Labor wins the last seat in Bass, the next parliament will have 14 Liberals, 11 Labor, five greens, four progressive independents, and one SFF.
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