One Nation has named Mornington Peninsula lawyer Ashli Beards as its candidate for Mornington ahead of the 2026 Victorian state election.
Beards is a practising lawyer, mother and wife who has lived on the Mornington Peninsula for more than 14 years. She has worked in commercial litigation and has identified crime, housing and cost-of-living pressures among her campaign priorities.
The announcement follows STPL News reporting on Tuesday that One Nation would reveal its Mornington candidate on Wednesday.
Ashli Beards Mornington Campaign Priorities
One Nation says Beards will campaign on community safety, housing affordability, homelessness and cost of living, as well as government accountability.
Her legal background is also expected to form part of her campaign, with Beards saying she wants to bring greater accountability to Parliament.
One Nation has highlighted crime on the Mornington Peninsula as a key local issue, with recorded offences remaining substantially higher than in 2022 despite falling over the most recent 12-month reporting period.
Mornington Election Context
Mornington will be closely watched at the 2026 election after the seat was decided by just 590 votes in 2022. Liberal MP Chris Crewther defeated independent Kate Lardner after preferences, securing 50.7 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote to 49.3 per cent. While the Liberal Party has held Mornington since the electorate returned in 1985, the narrow 2022 result left the seat on a significantly tighter margin heading into this year’s contest. Beards’ entry adds One Nation to the developing field ahead of polling day on Saturday, 28 November 2026.
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