Gilmore electorate guide: Federal election 2025 candidates, results and margin

Both the Liberal and Labor party are looking to win the ultra-marginal south coast New South Wales seat of Gilmore, which has been held by Labor’s Fiona Phillips since 2019.

The seat covers the outskirts of Wollongong to its northern side and stretches down along the south coast with many coastal towns popular with retirees and holiday-makers.

Gilmore’s residents are older than the nation’s average with nearly 30 per cent of residents over 65 years old. Many live in retirement homes along the scenic coastline.

Gilmore was created in 1984, named after poet and author Mary Gilmore and was held by the Nationals for its first three terms before being won by Labor for three years and then the Liberals for the next two decades.

Ms Phillips won the seat in 2019 thanks to a messy three-way race to be the top conservative challenger thanks to the intervention of Prime Minister Scott Morrison angering the local branches with his captains call.

This led to Gilmore being the only seat in the country Labor gained that election.

Ahead of the election the seat was one the Liberal party were confident they could win back with former NSW State treasurer Andrew Constance as their challenger. Mr Constance also contested the seat in 2022.

In 2022, Ms Phillips suffered a 2.4 per cent swing against her, cutting her lead down to just 0.2 per cent and making it one of Labor’s smallest margins.

Complicating things further this election is Climate-200 backed independent Kate Dezarnaulds who is challenging for the seat too.