The northern extension of Curtin’s seat was pivotal in changing the blue-barred seat teal.
Independent Kate Chaney is on track to become one of six independents in affluent inner-city seats across the country who competed and won on a platform of integrity and action on climate change, wiping out the Liberal Party in what was once their core country used to be.
Chaney’s bipartisan bias has narrowed by mail votes from 52.6 percent on election night to 50.9 percent.
But she will almost certainly remain in the lead, with only a few thousand votes left.
Ms. Chaney could capture voting booths in the western suburbs, or at least close the gap, but without the northern suburbs added to the electorate, it’s unlikely she would have crossed the line.
The electorate expanded after the abolition of Stirling’s seat, last held by Vince Connelly, with the rest of Scarborough and Trigg to gain parts of Karrinyup and Gwelup.
Gwelup went somewhat for incumbent Celia Hammond, but failing to do better in the rest of the added suburbs may have sealed her fate as a one-time MP.
Mrs. Chaney won the two booths in Scarborough with 60.70 and 56.32 percent.
She won the three stands in Karrinyup with two-party preferential votes of 58.84, 57.72, and 52.23 percent.
Camera icon Celia Hammond votes. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
Before the redistribution, Innaloo and Doubleview were the northern limits of the chair, and both waved at Mrs. Chaney.
She won over 56 percent of two-party preference in both Innaloo booths and won the two stalls in Doubleview with 59.28 and 63.68 percent.
There was a split decision in Cottesloe: at the Cottesloe Civic Center, Mrs. Hammond won 58.23 percent, but at Cottesloe North Primary, it was Mrs. Chaney who took a very narrow win.
Mrs. Hammond won Mosman Park, but only narrowly, with 51.90 of the two-party preference.
Ms. Hammond had some stronger results in Dalkeith with 62.62 percent and in City Beach, where she won more than 57 percent at both stands.
But the leafy western suburbs were not the domain of the liberals.
Ms. Chaney took a narrow win at Peppermint Grove, with 51.32 percent.
The suburb of Nedlands also delivered for the independent, with Ms. Chaney winning between 67.72 and 52.63 percent at the three stands.
Ms. Chaney won all three stands at Subiaco, crushing Shenton Park with 64.22 percent.
The booths in Mt Claremont narrowly went to Mrs. Chaney, while the booths in Claremont narrowly went to the Liberals.
Ms. Chaney won Osborne Park by more than 5 percent. She won a landslide in West Leederville with 65.26 percent and all four stands at Wembley, with two matches between 51.45 and 60.89 percent.
There was a split decision in Floreat, with each candidate claiming a narrow win in the suburb’s two stands.
Mrs. Hammond narrowly claimed Swanbourne, and both stood in Churchlands and won the two-party count in Balcatta by literally one vote.
Ms. Chaney did not claim the win, but her team is “optimistic”.
