Simon Behrakis has lost his seat in Tasmania’s electorate of Clark by a razor-thin margin, as fellow Liberal and sitting MP Madeleine Ogilvie surged ahead in the final count to claim the last available seat.
The Tasmanian Electoral Commission confirmed the result on Thursday, July 31, revealing that Ogilvie had overtaken Behrakis by just 180 votes, despite trailing in first preferences.
Behrakis led initially with 5,122 first-preference votes to Ogilvie’s 4,452. However, under Tasmania’s Hare-Clark voting system – which redistributes preferences from eliminated candidates – Ogilvie rose to 7,082 votes, narrowly beating Behrakis, who finished with 6,902.
It is a major setback for Behrakis, who entered state parliament in October 2023 following a recount triggered by the resignation of former Liberal attorney-general Elise Archer. Prior to that, he had served as a Hobart City Councillor since 2018.
In a statement shared following the final count, Behrakis thanked his supporters and reflected on his time in public office.
“It was a great honour to serve the Tasmanian people in the Parliament and something I’m very grateful to have achieved,” he said.
Fellow Liberal Marcus Vermey, who topped the party ticket with 5,870 first preferences, secured the sixth seat with a final tally of 8,006.
Source: Pulse Tasmania
