A craft distiller, a make-up artist and two councillors are battling it out to secure seats for One Nation in South Australia as well-connected names fill Labor seats.

One Nation’s David Paton – the Adelaide Plains deputy mayor – appears set to win the seat of Ngadjuri, the first candidate from the Pauline Hanson-led party to pick up a seat after the party’s vote soared to 22.1 per cent in Saturday’s election.

Some are already calling the seat – which stretches from the Gawler River and Gulf St Vincent to Clare – for One Nation, while the SA Electoral Commission continues to count votes.

Paton had 34.5 per cent of the first preference vote, which is about 5800 votes, as of Monday morning, according to ECSA.

One Nation was also expected to fare well in three other seats – Narungga, Hammond and MacKillop. A spokesperson said the party was “not counting chickens before they hatch” and would comment after the count was finalised.

Meanwhile, Labor has refreshed its ranks with well-connected newbies including Aria Bolkus –daughter of former federal Labor heavyweight Nick Bolkus – in Colton, Cheyne Rich – Susan Close’s former Labor campaign manager – in Port Adelaide and Lawrence Ben – Malinauskas’ former economic adviser and son-in-law of federal Labor Trade Minister Don Farrell – in Enfield.

The Liberal Party is still in contention on regional fronts, while Jack Batty has salvaged his metropolitan seat of Bragg, now the party’s only city seat in SA.

ECSA said Liberal leader Ashton Hurn was comfortably returned to her Barossa seat of Schubert with 49.2 per cent of first preference votes.

The SA Greens also picked up a record share of the vote in South Australia, adding Melanie Selwood to the upper house.

“Ours was the only vote that didn’t just hold, it increased,” Greens leader Robert Simms said as results showed a swing away from both Labor and Liberal.

Simms said he was optimistic that the Greens could add Katie McCusker to the upper house, and that Genevieve Dawson-Scott could take the Hills seat of Heysen.

“I’ve barely got any fingernails left,” he said after Saturday’s nail-biting race for some seats.

He said the Greens would closely watch the count as Dawson-Scott’s 23 per cent share of the primary vote could be added to with preferences from the Animal Justice Party and independent candidate Andrew Granger.

One Nation candidate Chantelle Thomas with national leader Pauline Hanson during the campaign. Photo: InDaily

For One Nation, photographer and makeup artist Chantelle Thomas is battling Liberal Tania Stock in Narungga. It was previously held by Fraser Ellis – an independent dis-endorsed by the Liberals after being charged with misusing parliamentary funds.

Thomas, who is 30, says on her website, “I’ve worked in a lot of different fields with all sorts of different people”, with experience ranging from hospitality work to a counsellor with Lifeline. Her website focused on healthcare, saying that hospitals in the Yorke Peninsula had been “neglected”.

“One Nation will crack down on Medicare fraud and implement reforms to better remunerate GPs so they can bulk-bill,” Thomas said.

“One Nation also wants to ensure taxpayer-supported medical students are required, upon graduating, to fulfil their regional work obligations much sooner so we get more doctors in country areas.”

In Hammond – which includes Murray Bridge, and Strathalbyn – Mannum local and craft distiller Robert Roylance is battling Labor’s Simone Bailey – the former Mid Murray Council mayor – to oust Liberal Adrian Pederick.

Roylance has distilled vodka and whisky with his brother Benjamin since 2020 and opened their first shop in 2023.

His website says Roylance is passionate about fixing rising energy costs for business and One Nation’s plan for the education sector.

“Our policy is to strip the curriculum of ideological material and emphasise core learning like English, mathematics and the sciences,” he said.

One Nation candidate and Mount Gambier councillor Jason Virgo picked up 35.5 per cent of the first preference vote in MacKillop.

It was held by Nick McBride for the Liberals. He is wearing an ankle bracelet after being charged over the alleged assault of his wife, which he denies.

Virgo is up against Liberal Rebekah Rosser, a former adviser in both the Olsen and Howard Liberal governments, who won 22.9 per cent of the first preference vote. The count continues.

Republished from InDaily