The Greens have suffered a major electoral setback in the 2025 federal election, with the party at risk of losing several high-profile lower house seats – including that of leader Adam Bandt – as Labor made strong gains and teal independents held firm or advanced in key electorates.
Early counts put Bandt neck-and-neck with Labor’s Sarah Witty in Melbourne, a seat he has held since 2010, with projections indicating preference flows could tip the balance against him. Bandt issued a statement late Saturday saying he expected to retain his seat, but admitted the results were “too close to call.”
Congratulating Prime Minister Albanese and Labor on their campaign, Bandt reminded Greens supporters that the party has increased their vote nationally:
“We have secured the biggest national vote in our history. And together we have kicked Dutton out.”
Initial tallies suggested Queensland MPs Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith) and Stephen Bates (Brisbane) were likely to lose their seats to Labor. Elizabeth Watson-Brown’s hold on the seat of Ryan also appeared precarious, with results hanging in the balance.
Political analysts suggest the Greens’ firm stance on Gaza may have alienated older progressive voters in inner-city seats.
Despite the losses, the Greens remain competitive in the NSW seat of Richmond, where candidate Mandy Nolan is narrowly ahead of Labor’s Justine Elliot with about 35% of the vote counted. In Victoria, former state Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is locked in a tight race in Wills against Labor MP Peter Khalil.
Meanwhile, Teal independents enjoyed a successful night, with incumbents Allegra Spender (Wentworth), Zali Steggall (Warringah), Monique Ryan (Kooyong), Zoe Daniel (Goldstein), and Kate Chaney (Curtin) all either holding or leading in their respective contests. In Bradfield, a redistribution created a tight contest between Teal candidate Nicolette Boele and the Liberals’ Gisele Kapterian, with the outcome too close to call.
Elsewhere, independents Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo), Dai Le (Fowler), and Andrew Gee (Calare) were on track to retain their seats.
It is clear that Greens face internal struggles and electoral losses, while the success of teal independents reflects the electorate’s demand for responsive, locally-focused representation. However, Bandt remains hopeful that the Greens can retain the balance of power in the Senate. However, with crucial lower house seats slipping away, the party faces a painful post-mortem and an uncertain future, much like the Liberals, especially under a leader set to lose his own seat.
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