Chaman Tiwari has been elected as the new councillor for Thomastown Ward in the City of Whittlesea, winning a closely watched by-election triggered by the resignation of former councillor Nic Brooks.
The Victorian Electoral Commission formally declared the result on Friday, confirming Tiwari had secured the single vacancy after preferences were distributed.
Tiwari finished first on primary votes with 2,013 first preferences, equal to 20.41 per cent of the formal vote. After the distribution of preferences, she defeated Belinda Stojcevski by 5,189 votes to 4,674, giving Tiwari 52.61 per cent of the final two-candidate-preferred vote.
The result gives Thomastown Ward a new representative after months without a councillor following Brooks’ resignation in January.
The by-election was conducted by post, with voting closing at 6 pm on Friday, 29 May. According to the VEC, 13,711 voters were enrolled in the ward, with 10,292 ballots returned. The final turnout was 75.06 per cent. There were 9,863 formal votes and 429 informal votes, representing 4.17 per cent of the total vote.
The contest featured a crowded field of nine candidates, including Tiwari, Edward Sukkar, Joseph Paola, Sarah Garnham, Stevan Kozmevski, Belinda Stojcevski, Aryan Singh, Andrew Filippopoulos and Paul Seidl.
Tiwari’s win came after she campaigned on local issues, including cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods, better roads and footpaths, stronger services for seniors and families, and improved value for ratepayers.
In her candidate statement lodged with the VEC, Tiwari described herself as a Thomastown resident of more than 15 years, a local business owner and a “proud Labor member”.
“This is my home, where I’ve chosen to raise my family and build my business,” she said in her campaign statement.
“I’m stepping up to fight for our community.”
Tiwari also used her campaign to criticise the circumstances that led to the by-election, saying residents had been left without a voice after the previous independent councillor resigned.
“At a time when families are struggling with the rising cost of living, our community deserves better,” she said.
Her campaign focused heavily on practical suburban concerns, including ageing local facilities, neglected streets, stalled progress and the need to address the Acacia and Waratah Street intersection.
“No excuses. No empty promises. Just results,” her candidate statement said.
The City of Whittlesea confirmed that the VEC had formally declared the result of the recent by-election for Thomastown Ward.
Tiwari’s election restores full representation to the ward and adds a new voice to one of Melbourne’s fast-growing and highly multicultural local government areas.
The City of Whittlesea, in Melbourne’s north, has faced scrutiny in recent years over council governance, local representation and community infrastructure needs. The Thomastown Ward by-election was one of several local government contests being run across Victoria in 2026.
For Tiwari, the immediate challenge will be to convert a campaign built on frustration with council priorities into visible action for residents.
This also reflects the importance of preference flows in local council elections. While she led the primary vote, the final result was not settled until preferences were distributed, with Tiwari ultimately finishing 515 votes ahead of Stojcevski.
Her win is being celebrated by supporters as a local community victory and a breakthrough moment for a candidate who positioned herself as a resident, mother, business owner and advocate for better local services.
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