MELBOURNE — In a major political upset, Greens leader Adam Bandt has lost his seat of Melbourne to Labor’s Sarah Witty, ending his 15-year tenure as the federal member and leaving the Greens without a lower house leader.
With over 70 per cent of the vote counted, Witty is ahead with 52.7 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote, compared to Bandt’s 47.3 per cent, placing him more than 4,000 votes behind. The result, while not officially declared, is being described as a significant blow to the party.
Bandt, first elected in 2010, was the Greens’ first MP to win a seat at a general election and had transformed Melbourne into a key stronghold. However, his projected loss comes as part of a wider downturn for the party, which suffered losses in inner-Brisbane and Griffith.
Despite the margin, the Greens have not yet conceded, noting a significant number of absentee and declaration votes remain uncounted. However, if the current trajectory holds, the party will be left with just one MP in the House of Representatives — Elizabeth Watson-Brown in Queensland.
Labor’s Sarah Witty, who has lived in Richmond for more than 25 years, ran a grassroots campaign focused on cost of living and housing. A former foster carer, charity CEO and small business owner, Witty also worked in finance and has helped raise over $100 million for social housing through Homes for Homes.
The Greens’ campaign, which centred heavily on international issues including Gaza, drew both support and controversy. Some Jewish community leaders and political opponents, including Nationals leader David Littleproud, welcomed Bandt’s projected defeat, criticising the Greens’ approach to foreign policy.
With Bandt’s potential exit from Parliament, questions remain over who will lead the Greens. Likely contenders include Senators Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young, as the party faces a leadership vacuum and a challenging path toward rebuilding ahead of the next federal election in 2028.
Final results are expected later this week as postal and absentee ballots are processed.
