2021 Upper Hunter state by-election

2021 Upper Hunter state by-election

22 May 2021

Electoral district of Upper Hunter in the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Opinion polls
Registered56,127
Turnout86.74 3.80
  First party Second party
 
Candidate Dave Layzell Jeff Drayton
Party National Labor
Primary vote 14,805 10,055
Percentage 31.20% 21.19%
Swing 2.79 7.46
2PP 55.82% 44.18%
2PP swing 3.26 3.26

  Third party Fourth party
 
SFF
Candidate Dale McNamara Sue Gilroy
Party One Nation SFF
Primary vote 5,845 5,676
Percentage 12.32% 11.96%
Swing 12.32 10.08

The Electoral district of Upper Hunter in New South Wales

MP before election

Michael Johnsen
National

Elected MP

Dave Layzell
National

The 2021 Upper Hunter by-election was held on 22 May 2021 to elect the member for Upper Hunter in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the resignation of National Party MP Michael Johnsen.

At around 8:30 pm on the by-election night, ABC News psephologist Antony Green called the election for the Nationals candidate Dave Layzell. Although Layzell was considered the narrow favourite based on polling, he ultimately won by a margin of 5.8% in the two-candidate-preferred vote, larger than polling suggested.