Adam Carr's Election Archive

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Victorian state election, 28 November 2026
Mildura District

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Location: Mildura, Ouyen, Wycheproof
Legislative Council: Northern Victoria Region

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Enrolment 2022 election: 47,941
Enrolment June 2026: 48,290 (up 0.7%)

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Relevant demographics (2021 census)

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High income: 12.1% (Aust average 22.6%)
Renting: 28.8% (Aust average 30.6%)
Paying a mortgage: 30.0% (Aust average 35.0%)
Couples with children: 53.0% (Aust average 43.7%)
Born overseas: 14.7% (Aust average 27.7%)
No religion: 40.7% (Aust average 38.9%)
University graduate: 12.2% (Aust average 26.3%)
Professional / managerial: 31.8% (Aust average 37.7%)
Works in Agriculture: 16.4% (Aust average 1.0%)

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Sitting member: Jade Benham (Nationals): Elected 2022

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2018 Independent majority over Nationals: 00.3%
2022 Nationals majority over Independent: 01.2%

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Status: Very safe Nationals versus Labor, vulnerable to independent

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Mildura was created in 1927, based on the Murray River irrigation city of Mildura and surrounding rural areas. Like all country seats, it has a very low proportion of people born overseas, of graduates and of high-income households. It has nearly always elected Country Party / Nationals members: Labor last won it in 1952 - which even then was a surprise. But when the long-serving Nationals member Milton Whiting retired in 1988, the seat was pinched by a Liberal, Craig Bildstien. He in turn was defeated in 1996 by an independent, Russell Savage. Savage was one of three rural independents who agreed to support a minority Labor government after the 1999 election. He was re-elected in 2002 but defeated in 2006 by the Nationals' Peter Crisp.

At the 2018 election Crisp was surprisingly defeated by an independent, Ali Cupper, a Mildura lawyer, Mildura City councillor and former union employee, who had been the Labor candidate in 2010. Cupper was defeated at the 2022 election by Jade Benham (Nationals), the Mayor of Swan Hill Rural City Council. Cupper is contesting the seat again in 2026.

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2022 results

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Boundaries following 2021 redistricting

See full-size map

Candidates:

Jade Benham The Nationals	Ali Cupper Independent	Renee Nayef Victorian Socialists

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