While support for Ms Ley doubled that of Mrs Milthorpe (43 per cent of the Farrer vote to 20 per cent), the independent candidate said voters still sent a clear message they are dissatisfied with how they are being represented.
There was a more than eight per cent swing against Ms Ley, who lost all her home election day polls in Albury to Mrs Milthorpe.
Mrs Milthorpe also polled higher than Labor candidate Glen Hyde, forcing the Australian Electoral Commission to abandon its traditional two-party preferred count.
Looking to the future, Mrs Milthorpe is hopeful that Farrer will no longer be considered a safe seat, saying that increased competitiveness is essential to securing fairer representation.
“If nothing else, we’ve shown that this electorate can no longer be taken for granted. That alone is a win for our community,” she said.
While no firm decision has been made yet, Mrs Milthorpe is open to standing again.
“This campaign might be over, but I’m not going anywhere.
“I’ll take some time to reflect, but I will always stand up for Farrer. We deserve better, and I’m here to help us get there.”
Mrs Milthorpe expressed gratitude to the community and her more than 200 volunteers for their support during a grassroots campaign driven by “integrity, hard work and a commitment to listening”.
“This campaign was never about politics-as-usual. We were a novice team, made up of locals who simply care about our community. We stayed positive, stayed focused, and always led with respect.”
“We had a small budget, but a strong community. That’s what powered this campaign.
“People stood beside me because they want something better for Farrer—not more of the same.”
Mrs Milthorpe said the campaign faced some clear challenges, including the spread of misinformation and being denied the opportunity to correct the record.
“We ran against a small group who continually circulated misleading claims, particularly around funding.
“I was fully transparent from the beginning about receiving a donation from Climate 200, and never misrepresented that fact.
“What’s disappointing is that the same level of scrutiny isn’t applied to major parties and their funding arrangements.
“I would ask the media to reflect on that and be more objective moving forward.
“I ran as an independent, and to repeatedly be referred to in other ways was not only misleading, it was dishonest and insulting.
“It undermined the intelligence of voters and the integrity of the many hardworking people who supported this campaign.”
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