‘A tough fight’: Labor retains Mulgrave, but bruised in byelection to replace Andrews

The Liberals were expected to fall in second place, overtaking independent Ian Cook.

“People want change, they’re crying out for it. We achieved a lot in three weeks,” Pesutto told supporters about 9pm. “We will do it next time, my friends. This is a part of our rebuilding as we approach the 2026 election.”

Cook had recorded a primary vote of about 18.89 per cent shortly before midnight.

The Greens received 5.92 per cent of votes counted by that time, a similar result to the 2022 election, while the Victorian Socialists picked up about 3.77 per cent.

Foster was defending Labor’s healthy 10.2 per cent margin on a two-party preferred basis. Nine challengers were up against her in the byelection that Andrews triggered when he resigned in September from the seat he had represented for more than 20 years.

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While Andrews won comfortably in 2022 with a primary vote of 51 per cent, and 60.2 per cent after the distribution of preferences, byelections tend to swing against governments – particularly those that replace a former leader.

Premier Jacinta Allan earlier on Saturday shrugged off suggestions a poor result would be a test of her new leadership.

Foster, a 42-year-old clinical psychologist and the mayor of Dandenong, grew up in Noble Park, which forms part of the electorate along with the suburbs of Mulgrave, Wheelers Hill, Springvale and Noble Park North.

Cook, who earned 18 per cent of primary votes in last year’s state election on an anti-corruption campaign against Andrews, had a partial victory this week in the ongoing “slug gate” saga.

The Supreme Court ruled former chief health officer Brett Sutton’s decision to shut down Cook’s catering company, I Cook Foods, over an alleged listeria outbreak was invalid because procedural fairness was not followed.

Cook’s team on Wednesday complained that the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) had failed to advertise the byelection in culturally and linguistically diverse media after doorknocking households that were unaware the vote was taking place.

Independent candidate Ian Cook contesting the Mulgrave byelection.Credit: Eamon Gallagher

“We have similarly been notified by locals of the failure of the VEC to distribute any individual hard copy or ‘snail mail’ material to voters advising them of the byelection and requirement to vote,” the complaint to the commission said.

Electoral commissioner Sven Bluemmel on Thursday said the number of early votes was below what was typically expected. About 47,000 people are registered to vote in the seat.