Who are the candidates in this year's state election across Melbourne's eastern suburbs?
Our guide to November’s state election, who you can vote for and what they hope to achieve if they are elected into power.
Matthew Sims
July 31, 2026
Table of Contents
Voters will head to the polls on Saturday November 28, 2026 to elect the next Parliament of Victoria.
To keep you up to date we’ve created a go-to-guide, collating everything you need to know about candidates running for lower house seats across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
We’ll keep updating this page as new candidates announce their campaigns or provide new policy details.
If we’ve missed something, please let us know! Or, get in touch at [email protected] to tell us about the issues that will be swaying your vote this year, and what you want us to ask local candidates.
How does voting work in Victoria?
On November 28, 2026 eligible voters can vote for one member of the Legislative Assembly (also known as the lower house) and five members of the Legislative Council (upper house).
Victoria has 88 electorates for the lower house with one Member of Parliament (MP) elected for each electorate.
There are 40 upper house seats. Victoria is divided into eight regions, with five MPs for each region.
To form a majority government, a party or coalition needs to win at least 45 seats out of the 88 total seats in the lower house.
A minority government can be formed with fewer than 45 seats if a party secures enough support from independent or minor party MPs on the crossbench to win votes on the floor of parliament.
What are “preferences” and how do they work?
Victoria uses the preferential voting system, meaning you choose candidates on a ballot paper in the order of your preference.
If your preferred candidate cannot get enough votes to win, your vote can count for your next preferred candidate.
Write a number 1 in the box for your most-preferred candidate
Number all remaining boxes in the order you prefer.
Importantly, Victoria requires voters to number every box for a vote to be valid - you can't just number your top few and stop. A ballot with skipped or repeated numbers is informal and doesn't count at all.
Do I have to vote?
Yes, you must enrol and vote in a state election if you:
are 18 years or older
are an Australian citizen
have lived in Victoria for longer than a month.
The fine for not voting in Victoria is $105.
When do I need to be enrolled to vote?
You must be enrolled to vote by November 3. If you’re not sure, you can check if you’re enrolled at the Victorian Electoral Commission.
Do I have to vote in person?
No, you don’t have to vote in person on election day.
You can apply to submit a postal vote through the Australian Electoral Commission, but you must do this before November 3. Ballot papers will be mailed to you and must be returned by November 25.
If you are blind, vision or motor impaired you can cast your vote via telephone from November 18.
Can I vote before election day?
Yes, early voting opens on November 18 and closes at 6pm on Friday November 27.
When do candidates have to announce they are running by?
Nominations for candidates open on November 4 and close on November 9.
When do we find out the result?
Most seats, especially safe ones, will be called on election night. Close seats will get their preference distributions finalised and become official one to two weeks later.
By December 19, three weeks post-election, every single result (including the closest recuts) is legally required to be declared by the Victorian Electoral Commission.
Who can I vote for?
Bayswater
The Dandenong Creek Trail in Heathmont. Image Credit: Andrew Lorimer
Covering the suburbs of Bayswater, Heathmont, Kilsyth South and The Basin, the seat of Bayswater covers about 39 square kilometres and had 51,051 registered voters as of June.
Labor MP Jackson Taylor has held the seat of Bayswater since 2018. However, Taylor has announced he will not be seeking re-election.
Created as part of a redistribution in 1992, the Liberals held the seat first with a 10-year stint from Gordon Ashley, followed by one term of service from Knox councillor Peter Lockwood from 2002 to 2006 and three terms under Liberal MP Heidi Victoria.
Taylor narrowly won back the seat for Labor in 2018, with a margin of 0.39 percent, which he pushed to 4.23 percent in the 2022 election.
Local issues set to be part of campaigns include planning restrictions, traffic congestion and health. The electorate is unique in that it is split between industrial and residential areas surrounding industrial zones and homes grappling with bushfire and landslide risk.
Julie Buxton (Labor)
Julie Buxton, Labor candidate for Bayswater
Buxton has lived in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs for all of her life and works in the public sector in disaster recovery. She served as Jackson Taylor's first electorate office manager after his election in 2018.
Buxton previously owned and operated Paramount Business Services, a business that provided financial, bookkeeping, HR and strategic advice to small and medium-sized enterprises. She is now a small business owner in Boronia and a mother of two boys.
Buxton says her priorities include supporting local businesses and improving services.
“I care deeply about the future we’re building - good schools, accessible services, secure jobs, and safe, connected neighbourhoods,” she said.
David Kitchen (Liberal)
David Kitchen, Liberal candidate for Bayswater
A former officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and an employee with Victoria Police, Kitchen has since worked as a public servant.
Since his announcement as a candidate, he has been vocal on social media on issues ranging from securing more protective services officers (PSOs) to patrol train stations, increasing the opening hours of local police stations towards reducing the rate of crime in the area.
Jess Kennedy (Greens)
Jess Kennedy, Greens candidate for Bayswater
A mental health worker, Kennedy describes herself as “a proud queer woman and a fierce advocate for systemic change” with more than six years of experience advocating for LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse and multicultural communities.
“I was born and raised in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and I want to be a positive voice in our community and deliver fair, inclusive policies to address housing unaffordability and cost of living,” she said.
Alec Ferguson, Socialists candidate for Bayswater
A local student studying Arabic language at Deakin University, Ferguson has been involved in the Socialists presence in the eastern suburbs since 2021.
His efforts have included helping organise the student movement for Palestine at Deakin University, including the Gaza Solidarity Encampment.
Other areas he hopes to focus on include refugee rights, the fight against racism and the far right and climate justice.
No verified campaign account found
Croydon
The Silver Birches house, Croydon
Including the suburbs of Croydon, Mooroolbark, Kilsyth and Bayswater North, the electorate of Croydon covers about 42 square kilometres and has 54,919 registered voters.
Croydon has been held by the Liberals since it was created in 2014, with David Hodgett winning the seat with 59.29 percent of the two-candidate-preferred vote in 2014, with his margin falling to 51.37 per cent in 2022. He announced last August he would not seek re-election.
Issues coming to the fore include townhouse developments and the clash between old infrastructure and new construction in town centres like Croydon and Mooroolbark.
Similar to Bayswater, Croydon sits between the fully-urbanised Ringwood and the semi-rural Dandenong Ranges.
Richard Farr (Labor)
Richard Farr, Labor candidate for Croydon
Farr grew up in Croydon and continues to call it home with his wife. He draws his belief in the importance of government investment in people to his parents: his dad was a technician for the State Electricity Commission and his mum is still a worker within the disability sector.
Farr said his goals include protecting work from home, improving public transport and fixing roads.
Grant Hutchinson (Liberal)
Grant Hutchinson, Liberal candidate for Croydon
Hutchinson has lived in the Croydon district since he was young, as a student at Croydon Central Primary School and later Melba Secondary College – formerly known as Maroondah High.
He is the founder, managing partner and a senior lawyer at Ringwood’s Hutchinson Legal, with his areas of focus including commercial litigation, corporate governance and business law. He has also worked for the Federal Treasury while studying for an economics and law degree.
Hutchinson said his priorities include improved healthcare services, particularly at Maroondah Hospital, harsher penalties for recidivist criminal offenders and more opportunities for home ownership and expanded supply in areas where more density makes sense.
Lini Fernando (Greens)
Lini Fernando, Greens candidate for Croydon
Fernando characterises herself as a “local mum … migrant and woman of colour” living in Croydon. Born in Sri Lanka, she currently works as a lawyer, with her expertise centred around environmental, anti-corruption and human rights law.
She said she hopes to fight for improvements in affordable housing, lower living costs, more supportive public services and climate action.
Beth Grimshaw, Socialists candidate for Croydon
Grimshaw is a mother to three children, a disability support worker and has only rented in Melbourne’s outer east.
Campaigns she previously led included improved pedestrian crossings in the Yarra Valley and local conservation projects.
Grimshaw said she would advocate for a fairer taxation system to address the cost of living crisis and housing inequality, supporting the shift to renewable energy and increasing the access to affordable healthcare.
“I’ve personally been impacted by the rising cost of living, a lack of essential services and housing instability,” she said. “I would fight for genuinely affordable access to mental healthcare and other preventative healthcare.”
No verified campaign account found
David Vanderwolf (Independent)
David Vanderwolf, Independent candidate for Croydon
A South Croydon resident, Vanderwolf has spent the past 14 years working as an economist in the public sector, focusing on the relations between state and federal governments.
He said he believed independent candidates can give communities a stronger voice amid growing frustration with major-party politics.
"We're frustrated and we want change, but we don't see that as the answer," he said. "My community is my party room.”
Vanderwolf said his main goals would be tackling the cost of living, protecting local green spaces and boosting funding for education.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn Town Hall. Image Credit: Melburnian
Including Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Camberwell, Glen Iris, Surrey Hills and parts of Canterbury, Hawthorn is about 21 square kilometres, but boasts 51,368 voters.
Hawthorn has mostly been a safe seat for the Liberals, with former Premier Ted Baillieu retaining the seat for the Coalition from 1999 to 2014.
Points of contention for residents and community members have been overdevelopment, particularly around key retail centres like Glenferrie and Camberwell and the conflicts between efforts to protect heritage and boost access to sustainable initiatives.
The rise in the popularity of independents make Liberal MP John Pesutto’s hold on the seat not as assured as it once was, as voters weigh up inner-city concerns like climate action, planning reform and government accountability.
John Pesutto (Incumbent Liberals MP)
John Pesutto, incumbent Liberals MP
An advisor to Ballieu, current MP John Pesutto won the seat in the 2014 election, but lost it to Labor’s John Kennedy in the 2018 race with a margin of 0.42 percent. Pesutto took it back in the 2022 election with a margin of 1.74 percent. A month later, he was appointed as the Victorian Liberal leader, a position he held for a little more than two years.
Before entering Parliament, Pesutto spent most of his childhood in Traralgo and then operated his own legal practice and corporate advisory firm. He was also a Senior Fellow at Melbourne University's School of Government while regularly appearing on TV and radio to discuss current affairs and writing a fortnightly column for The Age.
Pesutto lists his main passions and priorities as “good governance … multiculturalism and diversity”. His past votes have included pausing and reviewing the Suburban Rail Loop project, suspending and blocking former MP Moira Deeming and auditing state infrastructure funding.
Clive Crosby (Labor)
Clive Crosby, Labor candidate for Hawthorn
Crosby previously stood as a candidate for Labor in the 2025 election in the seat of Kooyong, attempting to unseat the incumbent independent MP Dr Monique Ryan. He received the third highest proportion of first preference votes – at 11.9 percent. In terms of the two-party-preferred vote, he received 47.63 percent of the votes, bringing a 1.37 percent swing to Labor.
He also ran in the 2022 state election, competing for a seat in the Southern Metropolitan region in the Upper House, receiving 0.35 percent of first preference votes.
Before entering politics, he worked in hospitality and became active in local community advocacy.
Crosby has previously campaigned on a range of issues from road and pedestrian safety in Kew to cost of living. One of his main goals in this election is to advocate for half-price public transport and more train services for the Belgrave and Lilydale lines.
Kylie Rocha (Greens)
Kylie Rocha, Greens candidate for Hawthorn
Rocha previously contested the Southern Metropolitan Upper House seat in 2022, receiving 0.19 percent of first-preference votes.
Working as an engineer across energy and manufacturing, Rocha said she has been a local for the past 15 years and hopes to push for improvements to the rising cost of living, housing affordability and sustainability.
“We want action to protect our environment, real solutions to tackle affordability and housing stress, and investment in the public services that ensure everyone can live a dignified life,” she said.
Tess McEnearny, Socialists candidate for Hawthorn
A Hawthorn local, McEnearny is working in medical research and completing a PhD in neurodegeneration.
She has been an socialist activist and organiser for the Victorian Socialists in the past, including movements for climate justice, against the genocide in Gaza and against cuts to community healthcare.
“I am willing to challenge the capitalist powers within society that dominate politics and wreck our lives,” McEnearny said.
No official campaign account found
Shima Ibuki (Independent)
Shima Ibuki, independent candidate for Hawthorn
A Surrey Hills resident for the last 17 years, Ibuki has served as a Boroondara councillor since elected in 2024 and became deputy mayor in November 2025.
Other roles she has held over the years include the centre manager at the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre and a project worker with the Department of Family, Fairness and Housing.
Ibuki said she hopes to serve Hawthorn as an independent that can remain accountable to the community and not filter their votes through the wishes of their party.
“Too often, decisions at the state level are shaped by party priorities and political games rather than what local communities actually need,” she said.
Kew
Alexandra Gardens, Kew. Image Credit: Melburnian
Covering suburbs like Kew, Kew East, Balwyn, Balwyn North and Deepdene, the seat encompasses about 31 square kilometres and 50,661 registered voters.
Historically, Kew has been a safe Liberal seat. Indeed, a Labor MP has never found success in the district, with current Victorian Liberals leader Jess Wilson the current MP.
Areas of friction for local community members are the need for denser housing, but also dissatisfaction with the State Government’s fast-track programs to approve denser housing projects with little to no chance for public consultation.
Sitting within the federal electorate of Kooyong, which Dr Monique Ryan won as an independent in 2022 and retained in 2025, Kew will be a focal point to see whether independent candidates can continue to attract votes in inner-city seats.
Indeed, Wilson’s own campaign and her response to issues as the state’s Liberal leader will draw more attention to her campaign than other incumbent Liberal MPs.
Jess Wilson (Incumbent MP for the Liberals)
Jess Wilson, incumbent Liberal MP for Kew
Raised in Mont Albert, Wilson is the incumbent Kew MP and Victorian Liberal leader. She won the seat of Kew in the 2022 election with a margin of 3.98 percent.
Wilson is the daughter Ron Wilson, the former MP for Bennettswood – an electorate in the Burwood area abolished in 2002. Before politics, she was the executive director of policy at the Business Council of Australia, advised businesses on regulatory policy at KPMG and later as an adviser to former Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Her involvement in the local community includes playing at Kew Box Hill Hockey Club for more than two decades.
On the floor of Parliament, her voting behaviours have included opposing Labor's Statewide Treaty legislation, but supporting practical reconciliation. Notably, she was the only Victorian Liberal MP to back the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
Wilson has also advocated for lower taxes, action on reducing the rates of crime, economic reform, increased housing supply and greater accountability of governments. Since becoming the leader of the opposition, her advocacy efforts have shifted to tackling state debt, improving health services and investigating corruption.
David Sun (Labor)
David Sun, Labor candidate for Kew
A local father raising his family in Kew, Sun said he wants to be a strong local advocate, backing Labor’s investments in hospitals, schools, free kindergarten and free public transport for under-18s.
Sun is the founder and manager of the Cloud Concert Youth Orchestra, a youth musical organisation.
Jackie Carter (Greens)
Jackie Carter, Greens candidate for Kew
After living in Perth, regional Western Australia and regional Victoria in the past, Carter has now called Kew home for more than 15 years. For more than 20 years, she has worked as an IT professional in the pharmaceutical sector.
Carter said she aims to advocate for movement in addressing the climate emergency, the housing and cost of living crises, wealth inequality and the erosion of trust in public services.
“I didn't come from a political family, but as I progressed through adulthood I realised that the state of the world was getting worse, our supposed leaders weren't acting, and no one was coming to save us,” she said.
Sophie Torney (Independent)
Sophie Torney, independent candidate for Kew
Elected as a Boroondara councillor in 2024, Torney served as the mayor from November 2024 to late 2025.
A mother of three, Torney has a background in IT, business and entrepreneurship, including founding and leading technology companies after completing a Master of Business Administration at the University of Melbourne.
A Kew resident for more than 27 years, she has been involved in local schools, sporting clubs and community organisations, including as an executive member of Electrify Boroondara and as chair of the Accountability Round Table – an organisation advocating for more transparency in government.
During her time on council, Torney has backed expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, increasing rooftop solar uptake and replacing gas with electric systems in council facilities.
Ringwood
An aerial view of Ringwood. Image Credit: Wanderingchina
The Ringwood electorate includes the suburbs of Heathmont, Mitcham, Forest Hill, Vermont, Nunawading, Ringwood East, most of Ringwood and parts of Blackburn. It covers about 35 square kilometres and has 54,315 registered voters.
Ringwood has been held by Labor since 2018. However, incumbent MP Will Fowles resigned from Labor in 2023 following allegations of sexual assault and now sits as an independent. Victoria Police arrested and interviewed Fowles, before releasing him without charges. Fowles has consistently denied the allegations.
With Fowles out of the race, Labor and the Liberals will now fight to reclaim the seat for their party.
Concerns for local voters include the controls of Labor’s “Activity Centres” planning initiative, high turnover along main shopping strips and shopping centres and healthcare, including planned upgrades and issues surrounding the Maroondah Hospital.
Ringwood has been a “swing” seat for the major parties to lose in the past. Now without an incumbent, both major parties and independent candidates have a shot to make their mark.
Rachel Halse (Labor)
Rachel Halse, Labor candidate for Ringwood
A mother of two and a Mitcham local, Halse has been working as a nurse with Eastern Health for more than 14 years. She also served as the policy officer for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s Victorian branch from March 2017 to September 2025.
Halse is married to former Ringwood Labor MP Dr Dustin Halse, who held the seat from 2018 to 2022.
Halse has already shared her local advocacy would centre around investing in healthcare and transport and easing the cost of living pressures.
Nick McGowan (Liberal)
Nick McGowan, Liberal candidate for Ringwood
McGowan secured the fourth seat in the Upper House’s North-Eastern Metropolitan region in the 2022 election, despite receiving 0.32 percent of first preference votes.
McGowan said being raised by his single mother in Melbourne’s north-east shaped his views on being accountable as an individual.
Growing up in Ivanhoe and Eltham, McGowan became one of Victoria’s youngest local government candidates, running for election in Eltham Shire at the age of 18. As a university student, he worked for a number of MPs before becoming an adviser for former Premier Jeff Kennett.
McGowan’s other roles have included working for the Disability Rights Commission and National Consumer Council in the UK and volunteering with Australian Volunteers International in Thailand, before joining the United Nations in 2001 and undertaking humanitarian and peacekeeping roles across Africa and Asia.
McGowan has previously opposed a number of Labor projects, including the Suburban Rail Loop, while advocating for lower taxes and a boost to funding for emergency services. More locally, he has been vocal about pushing for action on upgrading Maroondah Hospital and improving security for shoppers parking at Forest Hill Chase.
Amy Mills (Greens)
Amy Mills, Greens candidate for Ringwood
Amy Mills stood for the Greens in the seat of Deakin in the 2025 Federal election, obtaining 11.9 percent of first preference votes.
Mills is a dietitian, disability support worker and renter living with autism and ADHD who has been involved in climate animal rights activism. She was driven to run as a Greens candidate with the goal of building accessible and connected communities and tackling the climate and cost of living crises.
“From bushfire risk, to the loss of tree canopy and neglected public spaces, we need policy that addresses the issues of our community,” she said.
Jack Gardner, Socialists candidate for Ringwood
A local bartender and a language student at Deakin University, Gardner said the key issues of his campaign are fighting what he dubbed the “far right” or “fascist politics”, justice for Palestine, economic equality and environmental sustainability.
Gardner said he had taken part in campaigns against racism, homophobia and transphobia and protests for climate justice and calling for the closure of weapons factories in Melbourne’s east that allegedly supply to Israel.
More locally, Gardner has helped in the Socialists’ backing of the Stop Montrose Quarry Expansion campaign.
No official campaign account found
Prue Cutts (Independent)
Prue Cutts, independent candidate for Ringwood
Cutts has been a Whitehorse councillor since 2016, including two terms as deputy mayor.
She told the Eastern Melburnian she believed she offered voters a "genuine alternative" to the major parties at a time when many people felt "quite disaffected".
“I make my vote on the basis of what I believe is a good outcome,” she said.
Cutts said she would aim to deliver solutions to a broad range of challenges, including the cost of living, housing affordability, healthcare, education and community safety.
Thumbnail Image Credit: Nils Wedding