2024 Dunstan state by-election

A by-election for the seat of Dunstan in the South Australian House of Assembly was held on 23 March 2024, following the resignation of incumbent member and former premier Steven Marshall, which was announced on 24 January 2024.^[1]

2024 Dunstan state by-election

← 2022 23 March 2024 2026 →
Electoral district of Dunstan in the South Australian House of Assembly
Turnout	24,447 (80.8% 8.9)
First party Second party Third party   Candidate Cressida O'Hanlon Anna Finizio Katie McCusker Party Labor Liberal Greens Popular vote 6,896 9,334 4,116 Percentage 32.1% 43.5% 19.2% Swing 3.1 3.2 5.5 TPP 50.8% 49.2% TPP swing 1.4 1.4
The electoral district of Dunstan (highlighted in green) in the greater Adelaide area.
MP before election Steven Marshall Liberal Elected MP Cressida O'Hanlon Labor

Labor candidate Cressida O'Hanlon was elected the new member, defeating Liberal candidate Anna Finizio. O'Hanlon is the first Labor member to represent the seat, and the only member other than Marshall to have represented the seat since its creation in 2014. It is the first instance of a governing party gaining a seat in a by-election from the Opposition in South Australia in over a century.^[2]

Background

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of sitting Liberal MP and former premier Steven Marshall.

Dunstan is considered an ultra-marginal seat, sitting on a 0.5% margin. Indeed, at the 2022 state election, when Marshall's Liberal government unsuccessfully sought a second term (but were defeated in a landslide), Marshall came close to losing his own seat.

2022 result

2022 South Australian state election: Dunstan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Steven Marshall	11,219	46.7	−2.6
	Labor	Cressida O'Hanlon	8,445	35.2	+6.4
	Greens	Kay Moncrieff	3,279	13.7	+4.7
	Family First	Tony Holloway	1,067	4.4	+4.4
Total formal votes			24,010	98.2
Informal votes			437	1.8
Turnout			24,447	89.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Steven Marshall	12,135	50.5	−6.9
	Labor	Cressida O'Hanlon	11,875	49.5	+6.9
	Liberal hold		Swing	−6.9

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2022 South Australian state election (House of Assembly) § Dunstan.[edit]

Candidates

List of candidates as they appear on the ballot order.

• Frankie Bray (Animal Justice Party)^[3]
• Cressida O'Hanlon (Labor)^[4]
• Katie McCusker (Greens)^[5]
• Anna Finizio (Liberal)^[6]
• Nicole Hussey (Australian Family Party)

Results

2024 Dunstan state by-election^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Anna Finizio	9,334	43.5	−3.2
	Labor	Cressida O'Hanlon	6,896	32.1	−3.1
	Greens	Katie McCusker	4,116	19.2	+5.5
	Animal Justice	Frankie Bray	682	3.2	+3.2
	Australian Family	Nicole Hissey	440	2.0	+2.0
Total formal votes			21,468	98.1	−0.2
Informal votes			425	1.9	+0.2
Turnout			21,893	80.8	−8.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Cressida O'Hanlon	10,914	50.8	+1.4
	Liberal	Anna Finizio	10,554	49.2	−1.4
	Labor gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.4

See also

• List of South Australian House of Assembly by-elections