2026 Newcastle lord mayoral by-election
18 April 2026
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A by-election for the lord mayor of Newcastle will be held on Saturday, 18 April 2026.[1] The vacancy was triggered by the resignation of Lord Mayor Dr Ross Kerridge to focus on his health. Nominations for the by-election will close on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.[2]
Background
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 mayoral election.[3] In February 2026, Kerridge announced his intention to resign due to side-effects of recent cancer treatment.[4][5]
Ward 1 Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor, Charlotte McCabe, announced that she will run for the mayoralty.[6][7]
Former NBN news presenter and weatherman, Gavin Morris, announced he would run as an independent, Kerridge announced that he will support Morris.[8] Following Kerridge's endorsement of Gavin Morris, Our Newcastle, the group that backed Kerridge during the 2024 election, also announced its support for Morris.[9]
Ward 4 Liberal Councillor, Callum Pull, announced that he did not plan to nominate for the by-election. He endorsed fellow Liberal Councillor, Jenny Barrie, who then stated she would not run.[10][8]
Ward 1 Councillor and former Deputy Lord Mayor, Declan Clausen, announced his intention to run for Labor Party pre-selection.[11] He was later endorsed by the party as the Labor candidate.[12][13]
The Liberal Party announced Ward 2 Councillor Jenny Barrie as their candidate. Barrie has previously declined to run[14][8]
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]
Nominations for the by-election closed on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.[2]
Candidates
Nominations for the by-election closed on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.[2][16]
Declared
- Stephen O'Brien - Socialist Alliance, former ironworker, TAFE worker and librarian.[15]
- Gavin Morris - Independent, former NBN news presenter (2009–2025)[17][8]
- Charlotte McCabe - Greens, councillor from the 1st ward (2021–present) and acting lord mayor (2025–present)[6]
- Jenny Barrie - Liberal, councillor from the 2nd ward (2021–present)[14]. Previously declined to run.[8]
- Declan Clausen - Labor, councillor from the 1st word (2015–present) and former deputy lord mayor (2017–2024)[12][11]
- Milton Caine- Independent, wheelchair-accessible taxi driver.[15]
Declined
- Nuatali Nelmes, former lord mayor (2014–2024) and councillor from the 3rd ward (2008–2014, 2024–2025)[18]
- Callum Pull, councillor from the 4th ward (2021–present) and former deputy lord mayor (2024–2025)[10]
- Carol Duncan, former councillor from the 2nd ward (2017–2024)[18]
Previous result
| 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 | |||||
References
- ^ "2026 Lord Mayoral By-election". NewcastleCorporate. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "2026 City of Newcastle Council Lord Mayor by-election". elections.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "Kerridge declares victory in Newcastle Lord Mayor race - NBN News". NBN News. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "Media statement – Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge resignation". NewcastleCorporate. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "'Dealing with children': Ross Kerridge uses resignation to call out councillor behaviour". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Holding the fort to taking the reins: Charlotte McCabe's bid for lord mayor". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "Who's next? Greens strike first, others weigh options in lord mayoral race". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Gavin Morris for Mayor NEWFM - NEW FM". newfm.com.au. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "Nuatali Nelmes defends legacy as Our Newcastle backs Gavin Morris". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b Thompson, Rod (11 February 2026). "Callum Pull backs fellow Lib for Newcastle Lord Mayor". Newcastle Weekly. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b "'Experience matters': Labor councillor Declan Clausen makes mayoral bid". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 15 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b Thompson, Rod (24 February 2026). "Labor endorses Declan Clausen as Lord Mayoral candidate". Newcastle Weekly. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ "Labor endorses longest-serving current councillor for Newcastle lord mayoral race". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Jenny Barrie joins Newcastle lord mayor race, promising 'real results'". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Field set: two new contenders join byelection battle for Newcastle lord mayor". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ "Democracy sausage and a shake of the bag: ballot order set for lord mayor". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ "Why anchor Gavin Morris wants to swap the news desk for the mayor's office". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Candidate field narrows as Nuatali Nelmes rules out lord mayor comeback". www.newcastleherald.com.au. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.