One Nation Member for Farrer David Farley (centre), with his wife and daughter, speaks to supporters after winning the Farrer by-election at the party reception in Albury on Saturday, May 9. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)
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David Farley won a historic victory for One Nation as voters in southern NSW decisively turn away from the Liberal and National parties in the Farrer by-election.
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“I say thanks to Pauline Hanson, a mother herself, for trusting me and giving me the opportunity,” Mr Farley told churchgoers on Sunday at Albury's St Matthew's Anglican Church in his first public forum since winning the by-election.
“But more importantly thank you to Farrer, the mothers of Farrer, the families of Farrer, who have been able to take a choice, take a risk, not much of a risk I've got to say and to give me the great honour to represent you in Canberra over the next two years," Mr Farley told churchgoers after his recitation.
"I feel honoured, quite humbled and quite impatient to get on with the job.
"I'd like to see more faith in politics, it grounds us.
“Every man and every woman needs to have something to fall back on and faith and a belief gives someone substance and more importantly a rock to rest upon."
The Farrer by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Liberal leader Sussan Ley, ousted by Angus Taylor during a leadership spill in February.
The Liberal Party had held the seat for 25 years but voters were not convinced by candidate Raissa Butkowski.
Results coming in from across the sprawling electorate showed a primary swing against the Liberals of over 30 per cent.
The Coalition combined had about 20 per cent of the vote shortly before 8pm on Saturday.
One Nation's David Farley had just under 40 per cent of votes at last count on Monday afternoon, with 85 per cent of votes counted.
It is the conservative populist party's first win in the lower house, with Mr Farley joining Barnaby Joyce who defected from the Nationals to the party in December.
One Nation was always going to be a favourite in Farrer, Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie said.
David Farley at the Corowa voting centre at Oddfellows Hall.
"(The Nationals) haven't held this seat for quarter of a century, we have started from zero," she told the ABC.
"This is a conservative seat ... there's a lot of frustration with Canberra and there was a lot of frustration locally because they had a local member who resigned before her time."
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson said before the by-election the party would tackle water buybacks if they are successful in Farrer.
"(Voters) realised that we are the last hope of changing things in this country, to get it back to the country that we used to be," Senator Hanson told Sky News.
"People have fear for the future generations, no hope of owning their own home and the cost of living is just destroying families."
The most likely alternative to One Nation was independent Michelle Milthorpe but the 28 per cent of the vote she secured was not enough.
Labor didn't field a candidate.
Polling booths closed at 6pm and a show-and-tell ballot tip, marking the launch of counting, was staged.
While Mr Farley and Ms Milthorpe appeared close in lead-up polls, preferences from coalition voters would likely give the One Nation candidate an edge, RedBridge pollster Tony Barry told AAP.
"With the coalition preferencing One Nation, they are the intuitive choice to win the seat."
A One Nation victory shows the party is a strong electoral force, particularly in regional areas, the former Liberal strategist said.
"If they cannibalise the Liberal and National Party vote as expected, then it's a very safe conclusion to say that we're going to see similar voting behaviours and patterns in other regional seats."
Farrer by-election first preference count as of Monday, May 11, 2026, 15:43 AEST.
Ms Milthorpe was emotional during her concession speech after losing the race for Farrer.
"People are choosing a protest vote," she said.
"I'm not saying that's exactly what it is but it's people feeling disillusioned.
"I look at the Liberal and National parties who are walking away tonight probably feeling worse than I am.
"It's time for them to start looking at what they're doing and deciding to do it better."
Farrer had been held by either the Liberal or National party since its inception in 1949 and by opposition leader Sussan Ley from 2001 until she was ousted by Mr Taylor in a February leadership spill.
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