Preferences from the Shooters Fishers and Farmers could prove pivotal in determining the eventual winner of the Wagga byelection.
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The party’s candidate Seb McDonagh polled about 10 per cent of the primary vote, which put him out of the running for the role of Member for Wagga.
The vote count is continuing and it could be several days before all preferences have been allocated, with the Liberals’ Julia Ham, Country Labor’s Dan Hayes and independent Joe McGirr still in a three-way battle.
Although out of the race, Mr McDonagh was positive about the ballot.
“I’m delighted with this campaign,” he said.
“Three weeks ago nobody knew who I was. We had no presence and no branch here in Wagga.
“To go from zero to 10 per cent so quickly is an amazing effort.
“It’s great that our preferences will decide the outcome.
“We’ve helped make this seat marginal, which is great for Wagga.
“We will be looking to improve on this 10 per cent for the next election.”
During his election campaign, Mr McDonagh had pushed for a community forum to address the impacts of drugs on the electorate.
While campaigning at North Wagga Public School on Saturday, he said this idea had received strong support from voters.