2023 Warrandyte state by-election

Ryan Smith was first elected at the 2006 Victorian state election, replacing long-serving member Phil Honeywood who had held the seat since the 1988 election. Smith would continue to keep Warrandyte as a safe Liberal seat barring the 2018 and 2022 elections where it became marginal following the successes of the Australian Labor Party. Smith retained the seat at the 2022 election with a two-party-preferred vote of 54.2%, a slight swing from the previous election where there was a swing of over 7 per cent against him. Following the election of John Pesutto as leader, he was dropped from the shadow cabinet, having been a shadow minister under Matthew Guy and Michael O'Brien.

Smith announced his retirement in May 2023 after 16 years in parliament, with effect from 7 July. Smith did not tell leader John Pesutto of his resignation, with Pesutto instead learning about it through the media. He said that he had “become increasingly uncomfortable with the growing negative tone of politics, both internally and more broadly,” generally interpreted as Smith’s disquiet over Pesutto’s handling of the Moira Deeming-related leadership tensions that embroiled the Victorian Liberal Party in early and mid-2023.[3][4]

The Liberal Party preselected Nicole Werner to run in the by-election. Werner stood as a candidate for Box Hill in 2022.[15]

Nicole is a former Pentecostal youth pastor[16] and charity business developer.[17]

Eight other candidates also nominated for the Liberal Party preselection, including:

• Andrew Conlon, councillor for the City of Manningham
• Antonietta di Cosmo, electorate officer for Smith
• David Farrelly, candidate for Pakenham in 2022
• Maxwell Gratton, candidate for Ivanhoe in 2006
• Jason McClintock, candidate for Eltham in 2022
• Sarah Overton, a director for professional services firm KPMG
• John Roskam, former executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs
• Jemma Townson, former electorate officer for Katie Allen and Matthew Guy
• Allison Troth, former electorate officer for John Howard

There was also speculation that Tim Smith, the former MP for Kew would stand for preselection but no nominations were received on the cutoff date of 7 June 2023.[18] Other speculated candidates for included 2022 candidates Lucas Moon (Richmond) and Cynthia Watson (Ringwood) as well as Caroline Inge, federal vice-president of the Liberal Party.

On 26 July 2023, it was reported that the Victorian Labor Party would not contest the by-election to instead focus their resources for the 2026 Victorian state election.[19] In the 2022 state election, the Labor Party ran Naomi Oakley who received 33.16% of the primary vote.[20]

Tomas Lightbody is running as the Greens' candidate in the by-election. Lightbody was elected to Manningham City Council at the age of 22 and has since been elected as Deputy Mayor of Manningham council.[21]

Maya Tesa stood as an independent.[22] She has previously run in the Aston federal by-election where she received 7% of the primary vote [23] and as a candidate for the LDP in Jagajaga and the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region in 2022.

Victorian Socialists candidate Colleen Bolger is calling for a rent freeze.[22] Greg Cheesman is running with the Freedom Party of Victoria.[6]

Family First Party candidate Richard Griffith-Jones has promised to introduce if elected legislation to ban drag queen storytime in public venues.[24]

Raymond Hoser, a Snake Catcher[22] and Whistleblower, announced his intention to run as an independent candidate, however this did not materialise.