Labor Projected to Win Morphett from Liberal Party
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) projects that the Labor Party has won the South Australian state seat of Morphett from the Liberal Party.
As of recent counting in the state election, Labor candidate Toby Priest holds a 290-vote lead over Liberal incumbent Stephen Patterson. The Liberal Party has not yet conceded defeat, stating that vote counting remains underway in the Morphett electorate.
State of Parliament Update
Labor is projected to hold 34 of the 47 seats in the lower house of the South Australian parliament. The Liberal Party currently holds five seats, and One Nation holds two. The outcomes for two independent-held seats, Narungga and MacKillop, are still pending.
Morphett Seat Background
The Liberal Party has held the seat of Morphett since 1979, with one exception prior to the 2018 election. The electorate is centered around the suburb of Glenelg and previously had a 4.5 percent margin.
Stephen Patterson has served as the Member for Morphett since 2018. His past roles include an AFL and SANFL footballer, and mayor of Holdfast Bay. He most recently served as the Liberals' spokesman for energy, mining, defence, and space industries. Labor candidate Toby Priest is a teacher at St Thomas School and a boarding supervisor at Immanuel College.
Liberal Party Response
Deputy Liberal leader Josh Teague, who secured his seat of Heysen, acknowledged the ongoing count in Morphett. He stated that Stephen Patterson would be a significant loss to the South Australian parliament and the Liberal Party if the outcome were to go against him.