Liberals Launch Werribee Candidate

Liberal candidate Reece Clark has emerged as the party’s latest hope of toppling Labor in one of Victoria’s most volatile and closely watched electorates, with the battle for Werribee shaping as a potential state election decider.

Clark will challenge incumbent Labor MP John Lister, who scraped through February 2025’s dramatic by-election despite Labor suffering a massive primary vote collapse in what was once considered safe territory.

The by-election delivered a political shockwave across Victoria, with Labor’s primary vote plunging more than 16 percentage points. While John Lister narrowly held on after preferences.

The results exposed deep volatility in Melbourne’s outer west and instantly transformed Werribee into a genuine battleground seat ahead of this year’s state election.

Liberal candidate Steve Murphy finished ahead of Labor on first preferences, securing 12,207 votes, or 28.98 per cent, compared to Labor’s 12,168 votes, or 28.89 per cent.

By-election a Taste of Things to Come

West Party founder, Paul Hopper, who contested the by-election as an independent, recorded a significant surge, polling 14.56 per cent after an 8.66 per cent swing toward his campaign.

Much of the swing against Labor appeared to flow toward Paul Hopper and other non-major party candidates rather than directly to the Liberals, underscoring broader voter frustration in the rapidly growing electorate.

Despite trailing on the primary vote, Labor ultimately retained the seat after preferences, with John Lister defeating Steve Murphy on a two-candidate-preferred basis, 50.9 per cent to 49.1 per cent.

Little is publicly known about Reece Clark’s professional background, political experience or factional alignment within the Liberal Party, with party insiders so far keeping his profile tightly controlled following his endorsement.

The electorate has become one of the most marginal seats in Victoria and is expected to be fiercely contested as both major parties fight for control of government.

Chance for Labor to Bounce Back or Collapse 

With Melbourne’s outer suburban growth corridors increasingly becoming political swing zones, Werribee is shaping as one of the clearest tests of whether Labor’s dominance in the west is beginning to crack.

For Labor, losing Werribee would be symbolically devastating in a region long considered part of the party’s heartland.

For the Liberals, a victory would signal a major breakthrough into Melbourne’s western suburbs after years of electoral struggles.

Political observers are also expected to closely watch whether independent and protest votes again surge in the seat, particularly after the strong showing by Paul Hopper during the by-election campaign.

With cost-of-living pressures, infrastructure strain and population growth continuing to dominate conversation across Wyndham, both sides are expected to pour major resources into the electorate over the coming months.