Tim Wilson has now done enough to be formally returned as the Member for Goldstein. An election case recount certified his victory over Zoe Daniel. Liberal Party member Wilson held the seat since 2016. He ended up losing it in 2022 elections. His re-election is a home run return, as he won 50,228 primary votes compared to Daniel’s big campaign.
Daniel ended up winning by such a narrow margin of victory that his opponent called for a recount. Their findings were that Wilson gained an additional 14,695 primary votes compared to his independent competition. The first reported margin sounded like a nailbiter—260 votes. This error led to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) needing to amend this incorrect data entry mistake prior to certifying the results.
Wilson’s success was in large part due to a strong postal vote which boosted his overall total. His return to the office is a critically important inflection point for the Liberal Party. This is particularly powerful considering all that they’ve been through in recent elections.
In reaction to the defeat, Wilson thanked the voters and wished to thank Daniel. He stated:
“To those that said taking back Goldstein was improbable and likely impossible in over three years — and to Liberals across Australia who doubt our future electoral prospects, I have four words: it can be done.” – Tim Wilson
Even Zoe Daniel, one of the “teals,” as these independent candidates are known, acknowledged how aggressive the race was. She commended Wilson for his re-election success. She had a few things to say about the brutal recount process. It included nearly 85,000 votes and demonstrated how passionate and engaged the community is regarding the election’s results.
“It’s been a long process and, in the end after a recount of about 85,000 votes, representing 75 percent of the votes cast, there were only a few votes in it.” – Zoe Daniel
Equally important to Daniel was how surprisingly competitive the election was, pointing out that this fact alone proved the community’s dedication to its own future.
“This incredibly close contest reflects just how much our community cares about the future.” – Zoe Daniel
