Clayton Barr set to retain Cessnock seat with a projected 73.5 % the voafterspreferencere votes distributed

With 48% of the vote counted, Labor’s Clayton Barr is projected to retain the seat of Cessnock in the New South Wales state election. According to the latest figures, Barr has secured 47% of first preference votes and is projected to win with 73.5% after preferences are distributed.

Meanwhile, One Nation’s ls Quinton King is projected to finish second with 26.5% after preferences are distributed, despite currently having only 14.7% of first preference votes. The Legalize Cannabis candidate is currently in third place with 13.5% of first preference votes, while the Nationals’ Ash Barnham is in fourth place with 11%.

The Greens candidate, Lydia Nairn, has secured 7.1% of first preference votes, followed by the Animal Justice candidate, Victoria Davies, with 4.1%. The Sustainable Australia candidate, Graham Jones, has received 2.4% of first preference votes.

With Barr expected to retain the seat, it appears the voters of Cessnock have returned a Labor member to the state parliament. However, the strong showing by One Nation and the Legalize Cannabis candidate suggests that there is significant support for alternative parties in the area