Nationals’ win a change in mindset for Geraldton says Shane Love, but Kirrilee Warr yet to declare victory

Nationals leader Shane Love says the result for the Geraldton seat shows a shift in mindset for the community, saying their message has appealed to voters, but the local candidate says she’s holding off on declaring victory. On Sunday, Mr Love and Geraldton candidate Kirrilee Warr fronted the media in the aftermath of the election. Mr Love said Ms Warr’s win, the first for a Nationals candidate in Geraldton since 1947, was an historic moment. “It shows a fundamental shift here in the Mid West towards the National Party,” he said. “The party that’s seen to be delivering and speaking for the community on issues that are important to the community and and we know that our message has been resonating here in in Geraldton. “Justice has been resonating throughout the electorate of Mid-West that surrounds it, and you’ve seen that election of Kirra, and my election at the Mid-West for the first time, in a very strong showing for for the National Party.” As of Sunday, the Nationals held a 25.3 per cent swing over Labor, resulting in 63.6 per cent in the two-party preferred metric with 74 per cent of the votes counted. Despite her party leader declaring victory in Geraldton, Ms Warr said she would await the official result. However, she said the prospect of becoming the member-elect was exciting. “It’s an incredible moment, and in terms of the team we have here standing, Shane, Rob (Horstman), Julie (Freeman), and myself, it’s formidable,” she said. “It’s because we are speaking about the matters that matter most in our community and the communities abroad. “We’re very passionate about our regions and I think the voters out there realise that, we’re a strong voice, and we will be making sure these next four years we keep this Labor Government to account and that we put Geraldton back on the map.” With an election win likely, Ms Warr said the hard work was about to begin. “I‘m very much looking forward to representing Geraldton and being the member that you want me to be,” she said. “You’ve instilled that trust and faith in me, and I will do my utmost best to ensure that I do represent the voices here in Geraldton, and that we do make Geraldton matter and get our fair share for this region.” Mr Love was confident the party’s upper house candidates in Mullewa’s Julie Freeman and Northampton’s Rob Horstman would become elected members in the coming days. Ms Dalton made an emotional concession speech around 9pm on Saturday. “We’ve achieved everything that we said that we would do in the four years,” she told her supporters. “I’m bitterly disappointed, of course, that I’m not going to be able to keep on the trajectory that I started in 2021 because I had great plans for Geraldton.”