Wagga NSW election: Nationals Mackenna Powell claims good campaign despite loss

"It appears that the Wagga electorate thought that we are going to have a hung parliament and voted that way," she said.

"I'm so glad to see the Nationals in government have been re-elected across the state.

"It will be interesting to see what the independent (Wagga MP Joe McGirr) can deliver for our region."  

As of Sunday afternoon, Ms Powell had secured 26.45 per cent of the primary vote in a run that took months of negotiation to secure.

The Liberals blocked their Coalition partner from running in the September byelection and secured 25.48 per cent of the vote.

The September campaign was run under the cloud of Liberal Wagga MP Daryl Maguire's resignation following a corruption inquiry hearing and the fallout from a federal leadership spill.

"I think we did perform well, we ran a really great campaign, it was a strong campaign and we will be running again at the next election," Ms Powell said

The Nationals also suffered across south-west and western NSW, appearing on track to lose the seats of Barwon and Murray to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party.

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The Shooters were also able to retain the seat of Orange, which they took from the Nationals in a 2016 byelection.

Ms Powell said she disagreed with election commentary suggesting the Nationals were losing their place as the dominant party for regional areas.

"I still believe we have a strong position across the state," she said.

"Those seats will still be contested by Nats and the Nationals is still the party for rural and regional areas."

Ms Powell credited the drought as a factor in the rise of challengers such as the Shooters party, which held no lower house seats less than three years ago.

"There's no denying that the state is in a difficult situation with the 99.8 per cent of the state in drought," she said.

"Lots of areas are suffering and it was great to have some rain during the pre-poll.

"Those seats will not be abandoned by the Nationals."

Ms Powell said she would remain involved in politics.

"I look forward to being the first female Member for Wagga," she said.

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