2024 Black state by-election

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| <- 2022 | 16 November 2024 | 2026 ->

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Electoral district of Black in the South Australian House of Assembly
Opinion polls
|  | First party  | Second party  | Third party

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|  |  |
Candidate  | Alex Dighton | Amanda Wilson  | Sarah Luscombe
Party  | Labor | Liberal | Greens
First preference vote  | 4,998  | 3,467  | 1,675
Percentage  | 46.5%  | 32.3%  | 15.6%
Swing  |  8.4%  |  17.8%  |  3.8
TPP | 60.6%  | 39.4%  |
TPP swing  |  13.3%  |  13.3%  |

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Black (highlighted in green) in the Greater Adelaide area

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| MP before election

David Speirs
Liberal

| Elected MP

Alex Dighton
Labor

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The 2024 Black state by-election was held on 16 November 2024 to elect the member for Black in the South Australian House of Assembly, following the resignation of Liberal Party MP David Speirs.[1]

The Labor Party won the seat, with ABC election analyst Antony Green projecting the result at 7:26pm ACDT on election night.[2] It was the second time Labor had gained a seat from the Liberals in a by-election in 2024, following their victory at the March by-election in Dunstan.

## Background

[edit]

The by-election was triggered by the resignation on 5 October 2024 of sitting Liberal MP and former Opposition Leader David Speirs, after he was charged with two counts of supplying a controlled substance on 26 September 2024. Speirs maintained his innocence and announced he would fight the charges.[3]

On 15 October 2024, Speirs formally resigned to the Governor of South Australia, with the election date set for Saturday, 16 November 2024.[4]

### 2022 election result

[edit]

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2022 South Australian state election (House of Assembly) § Black.[edit]

2022 South Australian state election: Black Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Liberal | David Speirs | 11,862  | 50.1  | −0.9
| Labor | Alex Dighton  | 9,037  | 38.1  | +7.0
| Greens | Liz Tidemann  | 2,785  | 11.8  | +5.2
Total formal votes  | 23,684  | 97.4  |
Informal votes  | 643  | 2.6  |
Turnout | 24,327  | 92.0  |
Two-party-preferred result
| Liberal | David Speirs | 12,493  | 52.7  | −6.5
| Labor | Alex Dighton  | 11,191  | 47.3  | +6.5
| Liberal hold | Swing | −6.5 |

## Candidates

[edit]

Candidates who nominated for the by-election are (in ballot paper order):[5]

Candidate nominations

| Australian Family Party | Jonathan Parkin  | [6]
| Liberal Party | Amanda Wilson  | [7]
| Labor Party | Alex Dighton  | [8]
| Greens | Sarah Luscombe  | [9][10]

On 8 October 2024, the Labor Party preselected Sacred Heart College senior leader Alex Dighton, who previously ran for the seat 2022 election.[11]

Amanda Wilson, the mayor of Holdfast Bay, was preselected as the Liberal Party candidate. Wilson does not reside in the electorate, but says she has not ruled out moving to Black "in the longer term". Labor accused Wilson of being "parachuted" into the role.[12]

It was revealed that Wilson had been a member of the Greens before joining the Liberal Party one week prior to her preselection.[13] Wilson subsequently revealed that she had been approached by Peter Malinauskas to run for Labor in the seat of Gibson at the 2022 election, which he confirmed, as well as by Penny Wong to run as a Labor candidate for the federal seat of Boothby.[14]

On 17 October 2024, The Greens announced that City of Marion councillor, Sarah Luscombe would run as their candidate.[15]

The Australian Family Party chose pilot Jonathan Parkin as their candidate for the by-election.[16]

## Campaign and controversies

[edit]

The Liberal Party claimed that Labor had introduced a “Lettuce Tax”, however the ECSA intervened, ordering the posts to be removed, deeming the claim was misleading, inaccurate and breached section 113 of the electoral act. Liberal Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia denounced the ECSA findings as “fake news”.[17]

On 11 November 2024 it was revealed that the Liberals had used $25,000 public money to Sydney-based Freshwater Partners for internal party polling for the by-election. The Electoral Act requires registered political parties engaged in the public funding regime to abide by a strict spending cap of $94,482 in a byelection.[18]

While the same day, senior Liberal figure Nicolle Flint accused Labor of sexism, after they released a corflute that stated Dighton was “working with” Malinauskas while Wilson was “working under” Tarzia. Flint called for Labor to remove the advertising.[19]

## Results

[edit]

2024 Black state by-election[20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

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| Labor | Alex Dighton | 4,998  | 46.5  | +8.4
| Liberal | Amanda Wilson  | 3,467  | 32.3  | −17.8
| Greens | Sarah Luscombe  | 1,675  | 15.6  | +3.8
| Australian Family | Jonathan Parkin  | 600  | 5.6  | +5.6
Total formal votes  | 10,740  | 96.5  | −0.8
Informal votes  | 388  | 3.5  | +0.8
Turnout | 11,128  | 41.9  | TBD
Two-candidate-preferred result
| Labor | Alex Dighton | 6,474  | 60.6  | +13.3
| Liberal | Amanda Wilson  | 4,216  | 39.4  | −13.3
| Labor gain from Liberal | Swing | +13.3 |

Results are not final. Last updated on 16 November 2024 at 20:30 ACDT.

## Opinion polling

[edit]

### Voting intention

[edit]

Date  | Firm  | Interview
mode  | Sample
size  | Primary vote  | 2PP vote

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LIB | ALP | GRN | AFP | LIB | ALP
16 November 2024 | 2024 by-election | —  | 10,740  | 32.3%  | 46.5%  | 15.6%  | 5.6%  | 39.4%  | 60.6%
12 November 2024  | The Advertiser (exit poll)[21] | In-person  | 100  | 37%  | 47%  | 16%[a] | —  | —
19 March 2022 | 2022 election | —  | 23,684  | 50.1%  | 38.1%  | 11.8%  | —  | 52.7%  | 47.3%

## Notes

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1. ^ Combined vote for the Greens and the Australian Family Party.[21]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Former opposition leader David Speirs has announced he will quit parliament and has suspended his Liberal Party membership following an SA Police raid on his home". The Advertiser. 5 October 2024. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
2. ^ Green, Anthony (16 November 2024). "ABC News Black By-election Live Blog". ABC News.
3. ^ "Police say former SA Liberal leader David Speirs faces drug charges. Here's how it all unfolded". 7 October 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
4. ^ Starick, Paul (16 October 2024). "Black by-election date set after David Speirs resigns". The Advertiser.
5. ^ "Black by-election: Declaration of nominations". Retrieved 10 November 2024.
6. ^ "Black By-election". Retrieved 10 November 2024.
7. ^ Yankovich, George. "Holdfast Bay mayor Amanda Wilson to contest Black by-election". The Advertiser.
8. ^ Kelsall, Thomas. "Labor picks candidate for David Speirs' seat as Lib contenders emerge".
9. ^ Kelsall, Thomas. "Greens pick candidate for Black by-election".
10. ^ "Sarah Luscombe, Candidate for Black". Greens South Australia. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
11. ^ Kelsall, Thomas. "Labor picks candidate for David Speirs' seat as Lib contenders emerge".
12. ^ Yankovich, George. "Holdfast Bay mayor Amanda Wilson to contest Black by-election". The Advertiser.
13. ^ Bermingham, Kathryn. "Liberal candidate for Black Amanda Wilson, who joined the Liberal Party on Friday, reveals she was previously a member of the Greens". The Advertiser.
14. ^ Kelsall, Thomas. "Lib candidate was asked to run for Labor in 2022". InDaily.
15. ^ Kelsall, Thomas. "Greens pick candidate for Black by-election".
16. ^ "Black By-election". Retrieved 10 November 2024.
17. ^ Georgiou, Leon (10 November 2024). "Libs 'lettuce tax' deemed fake news". The Advertiser.
18. ^ Bermingham, Kathryn (11 November 2024). "Libs lashed as taxpayers slugged in race to replace Speirs". The Advertiser.
19. ^ "Labor urged to remove 'sexist' ad as early voting opens in Black by-election". The Advertiser. 11 November 2024.
20. ^ "Black By-Election 2024". ECSA. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
21. ^ a b Starick, Paul; Havrilenko, Dasha; Yankovich, George (13 November 2024). "Early voting shows Black by-election down to wire as senior Labor figures express fears". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.