Secret Harbour by-election 2026: Results, voting, updates and winner

We’re wrapping up our live coverage after a huge night in Secret Harbour.

Thank you for joining us throughout the day as we brought you all the action from the polling booths, the first results and the reaction as One Nation emerged victorious.

You can read more of our coverage here.

Goodnight.

Pauline Hanson says tonight’s result “should be a warning to Labor”.

“To see such a dramatic shift in support towards One Nation since the last WA election is just phenomenal,” Senator Hanson told The Sunday Times.

“Luke has been an outstanding candidate who locals liked from day one. I saw it firsthand when I walked through the streets with him.

“Tonight’s result should be a warning to Labor, we’re coming for more of your seats.”

“The support throughout this by-election has been exactly the same as what we’ve seen in South Australia, Farrer and Nepean. Endless volunteers, solid candidates, common sense policies, and generous donations from regular Aussies,” Senator Hanson said.

“Australians are choosing One Nation as a serious alternative to the tired old ‘uni-party’ who have destroyed our nation’s economic prowess and made the cost of living so outrageously unaffordable.”

Luke Herdegen has declared no seat is safe from One Nation.

“The people of Secret Harbour have sent a message that will send shockwaves around the country,” Mr Herdegen said.

“No seat is safe from the orange tsunami.”

He said the political landscape in WA had changed forever.

“The days of WA Labor having a stranglehold on the outer southern suburbs is over,” he said.

“There are no safe Labor seats in this State, or in this country anymore.”

One Nation’s Rod Caddies has claimed victory in the by-election, introducing Luke Herdegan as “the new member for Secret Harbour”.

Luke Herdegan told the crowd: “There are no safe Labor seats in this country any more.”

Labor candidate Georgia Tree has conceded it’s not a great night for Labor, but said the by-election remains too close to call despite One Nation’s 54-46 per cent lead, two-candidate preferred, with 37 per cent of the vote counted.

Ms Tree arrived to cheers, and a standing ovation as she vowed that Labor will continue to serve the Secret Harbour community, despite a 21 per cent swing against the Government.

“We still have 50 per cent of the vote to be counted, clearly this is going to be a tough night for Labor,” she said.

“We always said this campaign was going to be a fight and it has been a fight, so close tonight but we don’t have a result”.

​

​

Liberal Leader Basil Zempilas has conceded his party will fall short of winning the election, as the party’s primary vote lingers at around 17.5 per cent.

Mr Zempilas told the Liberal crowd they were not set to win the seat.

“Ultimately, we’ll fall short of sending Ryan into the Parliament of Western Australia,” he said.

“We know that counting continues and as I’ve said, it is for others to claim or to concede victory.”

Despite the poor result for the party, the crowd erupted into raptures when Mr Zempilas said Labor looked likely to lose, claiming credit for the result.

“On the numbers that we’ve seen, everyone wearing blue tonight, in particular the man standing right alongside me (Ryan Robertson), can be very, very proud and pleased of the effort that we have put in, and the result that we have secured in what is Labor heartland,” he said.

Liberal candidate Ryan Robertson has conceded it’s not looking like tonight is his night, with the count showing he has just 17.4 per cent of the vote so far.

Mr Robertson addressed the room of around 80 of the Liberal faithful, who remained in good spirits despite the early results.

“Can I start by saying, although it seems that it might not be our night tonight, I am so incredibly proud of the work that we have all done,” he said.

“I truly believe that we have put the Liberal Party back on the map to be able to send a clear message to the West Australian people that we are here, we are listening, and we are professional outfits that are going to deliver for WA.”

One Nation appears to have quadrupled its primary vote to open up a significant lead over Labor.

Labor has copped a 21 per swing against it only 17 months after a landslide State election win.

It’s still too early to call the election, with only 13 per cent of the vote counted, but One Nation’s Luke Herdegen is leading first preferences 34.5 per cent to 26 per cent and he will also pick up most of the preferences from Liberal Ryan Robertson, who has 17 per cent of the vote.