Council
7 November, 2024
Horsham council election: six new councillors elected, three incumbents out
Only one incumbent returns in Horsham Rural City Council shakeup.
The Horsham Rural City Council will see a significant shift, with six new councillors joining lone returning member following the 2024 local council election.
Cr Ian Ross (Pine Lake Ward) will be joined by Dean O'Loughlin (Green Park), Todd Wilson (Horsham North), Cam McDonald (May Park) and Angela Munn (Oatlands).
Rebecca Sluggett (Kalimna) and Brian Klowss (Wyn Wyn) were elected unopposed.
Incumbent councillors Les Power, Claudia Haenel and David Bowe were not re-elected.
Horsham Rural City Council faced a new and untested voting model in the 2024 election, voting with a single councillor ward system for the first time.
Cr Ross defeated Michael Bond and Toby Haynes after gaining 63% of the 1767 first preference votes.
Mr McDonald won 72.88% of the votes, with 1185 votes to Mr Power's 441.
Mr O'Loughlin defeated Brian Basham after he won 68.25% of the 1918 votes.
Mr Wilson defeated Ms Haenel and Kathy Ross after winning 40% of the votes; the redistribution of Ms Haenel's votes saw Mr Wilson win 966 votes to Mrs Ross' 777.
Ms Munn defeated Dylan Hasselberg and Mr Bowe after the latter was eliminated in redistribution.
Candidates then have until November 12 to request a recount. The VEC will assess whether one is needed.
For further information, visit https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/2024-local-council-elections/horsham-rural-city-council.