Australian candidates with Hellenic heritage have emerged as key figures in South Australia’s election, with three securing seats in a result that delivered a sweeping victory for Premier Peter Malinauskas and the Labor Party.
Saturday’s election confirmed the trend of recent polling, with Labor securing at least 31 of the 47 seats in the lower house and heading towards an even stronger majority. The Liberal Party suffered a heavy defeat, reduced to just four seats, while One Nation recorded a significant surge, overtaking the Liberals in first-preference votes with approximately 21 per cent.
Amid the broader political shift, candidates of Hellenic heritage recorded a particularly strong presence, translating community support into parliamentary representation.
Veteran MP Tom Koutsantonis was comfortably re-elected in West Torrens, reinforcing his long-standing influence and deep local support.
In Colton, Aria Bolkus – daughter of the late Nick Bolkus – delivered one of the most notable upsets of the night, winning the seat for Labor from the Liberals. Olivia Savvas also retained Newland with ease, transforming what was once a marginal electorate into a safe Labor seat.
Beyond those elected, several Greek Australian candidates delivered strong performances across multiple electorates. One Nation’s Peter Rentoulis came close to victory in Taylor with more than 43 per cent of the vote, while Nickolas Tsentidis secured second place in Playford with 23 per cent, highlighting the party’s growing traction in suburban areas.
The Greens also saw increased support, with Stef Rozitis placing second in Elder and John Photakis outperforming the Liberals in Davenport – further evidence of shifting voter dynamics across the state.
Other candidates of Hellenic background, including Kosta Hadjimarkou (Cheltenham), Spiro Manolakis (Flinders), Anastasios Manolakis (Kaurna), Angela Zakarias (King), and Leo Demetriou (Ramsay), were unsuccessful in their bids.
In the upper house, smaller parties struggled to gain ground. SA-Best, led by Connie Bonaros, dropped to 0.7 per cent from 5.4 per cent in 2022, while Steven Pallaras of Real Change SA secured 0.9 per cent, with neither achieving election.
Speaking after his victory, Premier Malinauskas thanked his family – describing them as “the people who mean everything” – and acknowledged senior colleagues including Deputy Premier Kyam Maher and veteran MP Tom Koutsantonis, whom he described as a “lion of Labor.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also congratulated the Premier, saying he looked forward to continuing cooperation on job creation, cost-of-living support, housing and healthcare.
