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AT A GLANCE
There are 26-year-old voters in Muswellbrook and Singleton who weren’t born when Upper Hunter was held by someone other than George Souris.
The Nationals stalwart has held the seat since 1988 but announced his retirement late last year.
Subsequently, the door has been opened to new challengers and there will be a lot more interest in how this year’s race turns out.
Souris leaves the Nationals with a 23 per cent margin in the seat and that will be extremely difficult for any new challenger to rein in.
The Nationals are standing a strong candidate in Michael Johnsen, a financial planner who is currently the mayor of Upper Hunter council.
His biggest challenge will come from Labor’s Martin Rush, a very active and very well-known mayor of Muswellbrook, but also expect a strong showing from independent Lee Watts who is a former Upper Hunter mayor and member of the current council.
Both are certain to make a dent in the Nationals’ margin but it’s hard to see either getting across the line first.
Currently held by: George Souris, Nationals.
Margin: 23% to Nationals
Boundary redistribution: decreased Nationals margin by 0.3% on 2011 result.
Voters: 53,314
Two-party preferred result 2011: George Souris (Nationals) 26,179 beat Tim Duddy (Independent) 12,161
Total population: 72,463
Median age: 38
Total workforce: 35,309
Weekly household income: $1196
People who travel to work by public transport: 240
People who travel to work by car as passenger or driver: 23,881
Couples without children: 7982
Couples with children: 8461
One parent families: 2796
Own house outright: 9363
Own house with mortgage: 8738
Rent home: 7495
Median monthly mortgage repayment: $1733
Unemployment rate: TBC
CANDIDATES IN BALLOT ORDER
1. Lee Watts, Independent
2. Richard Stretton, Christian Democratic Party
3. John Kaye, Greens
4. Martin Rush, Country Labor
5. Michael Johnsen, The Nationals
* Information collected from 2011 Census, Newcastle Herald archive and Elections NSW.
