The early results for the Cessnock Council election are beginning to take shape, with significant developments in both the mayoral and Ward A councillor races.

Mayoral Race
In the mayoral contest, Daniel Watton, running as an independent, is leading with 50.55% of the formal votes. Watton has garnered 7,118 first-preference votes, putting him ahead of ALP candidate Jay Suvaal, who has 5,666 votes, or 40.24%. Green Party candidate Llynda Nairn holds 9.21% of the votes with 1,297. With Watton holding over half of the formal votes at this stage, he is currently the frontrunner, but the race remains ongoing as votes continue to be counted.

Ward A Councillor Race
In Ward A, three councillors will be elected through a proportional representation system, and the early results indicate the following:

• Group A (Independent), led by Jessica Jurd, has secured 625 votes, which equals 2.12 quotas, making this group likely to win at least two of the three available seats.
• Group B (ALP), led by Jay Suvaal, has 383 votes, or 1.3 quotas, suggesting that Suvaal or another ALP candidate may secure the third seat.
• Group C (Greens), led by Llynda Nairn, trails with 171 votes (0.58 quotas), making it less likely for them to win a seat unless preference flows significantly change the outcome.

These results are still progressive, and final outcomes will depend on the counting of all ballots, including preferences and informal votes. Stay tuned for further updates as more results are reported.