Helen Dalton trails but remains defiant as election count stalls

SFF candidate for Murray Helen Dalton was trailing Nationals Austin Evans 53 per cent to 47 per cent on the two party preferred vote.

Some 72 per cent of the vote had been counted. The NSW electoral commission has not provided any updates on their website since 9.30am on Sunday. 

There were reports of recounts in some booths, but the electoral commission were unable to confirm this.  

While neither side were prepared to call the race until further counting of pre-poll and postal votes, ABC election expert Antony Green said the Nationals seem very likely to win. 

Filip Despotoski, state director of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party, praised Ms Dalton for making what was a very safe Nationals seat into a marginal one, at a gathering of party supporters on Saturday night. 

“There’s enough force behind Helen, who’s a fantastic candidate. She polled 31 per cent, which is remarkable… 70 to 80 per cent of a campaign is the candidate, and Helen you’ve done us proud,” he said. 

Ms Dalton, a former high school teacher who owns a farm in Binya, remained hopeful late on Saturday. 

“I was hoping we would’ve got across the line tonight. It’s not over yet, until the fat lady sings… I would like to thank you all for your support”. 

Ms Dalton significantly improved on her showing at the 2015 Murray election, when she polled 18 per cent of the vote, running as an independent. 

Ms Dalton captured a higher share of the vote in polling booths in  Beelbangera, Goolgowi, Lake Wyangan, Yenda and Murrumbidgee Council Chamber.

She also comfortably won Deniliquin. 

The seat-wide swing against the Nationals was at 19.2 per cent, as at Sunday afternoon.

Mr Despotoski said at the very least, SFF has weakened the Nationals grip on the seat, and his party will hold them to account before having another crack at the 2019 NSW general election. 

“The fight does not stop here… what you are experiencing now is a shift away from the establishment, a shift away from the Coalition Government”. 

Ms Dalton has not made a decision on whether she will state as a candidate in 2019. 

Mr Despotoski was critical of the way the National Party ran their campaign. 

“They ran on a campaign of lies, of scare tactics and smear mongering. Helen is the right representative of this area”

“You [Helen] will one day make a great representative for the people of this community”.