Stay updated with the latest results from in the 2025 Australian Federal Election and follow the live Federal Election results page for more coverage.
7.0% swing to ALP
Preference count
Labor Party
Claire Clutterham
Vote: 56.6%
65,893
Liberal Party
James Stevens (MP)
MPVote: 43.4%
50,579
- Claire Clutterham leads by 15,314 votes.
- Previously held by LIB with margin of 0.5%.
- Claire Clutterham first Labor win in seat.
- James Stevens loses ultra marginal seat.
First preference
LaborLabor Party
Claire Clutterham
- Vote:35.3%41,074Swing: +4.6%
LiberalLiberal Party
James Stevens (MP)
- Vote:34.4%40,055Swing: -8.8%
GreensGreens
Katie McCusker
- Vote:15.6%18,146Swing: -0.8%
IndependentIndependent
Verity Cooper
- Vote:7.2%8,364Swing: +7.2%
One NationOne Nation
Peter Bogatec
- Vote:3.4%4,020Swing: +0.9%
Trumpet of PatriotsTrumpet of Patriots
Nicholas Duffield
- Vote:2.2%2,540Swing: +2.2%
Family FirstFamily First
Mervin Joshua
- Vote:1.9%2,273Swing: +1.9%
OthersOthers
-
- Vote:0.0%0Swing: -7.2%
Adelaide Inner Eastern Suburbs
Marginal Liberal 0.5%
MP
James Stevens (Liberal) since 2019.
Profile
Sturt consists of a string of Adelaide's eastern suburbs stretching in a north-south line between Mt Barker Road and Grand Junction Road, bounded by the Adelaide parklands and Adelaide Hills. It includes the suburbs of Glen Osmond, Burnside, Magill, Felixstow, Campbelltown, Klemzig, Gilles Plains, St Peters, Norwood, Rostrevor, Newton, Paradise, Athelstone and Highbury. Covers 97 square kilometres.
Background
This electorate was created in 1949 and named after Charles Sturt, the early European explorer of the Murray River. He proved that all the rivers of western NSW eventually flowed into the Murray River and was also the first white explorer to navigate the Murray River to its mouth.
Since its creation, Sturt has only spent two terms in Labor hands, the first 1954-55 and the second 1969-72. Former Liberal members include Sir Keith Wilson (1949-54, 1955-66) and his son Ian (1966-69, 1972-93), affectionately known by the nickname 'Curly'. The younger Wilson was defeated for pre-selection by the youthful and ambitious Christopher Pyne in 1993.
Pyne held Sturt comfortably until Labor launched vigorous campaigns against him at the 2007 and 2010 elections. At both elections the Liberal Party engaged in 'sandbagging', minimising the swing with intensive campaigns in marginal Boothby and Sturt, resulting in Labor blowouts in other Adelaide seats such as Kingston, Makin and Wakefield. Sturt moved back into safe territory on the election of the Abbott government in 2013 but returned to being marginal after the 2016 election.
Sturt was again a hotly contested seat in 2019 when Christopher Pyne retired after 26 years as member, but new Liberal candidate James Stevens was easily elected with a 1.5% swing in his favour. Stevens just survived the 2022 election, behind on election day votes but winning re-election thanks to pre-poll and postal votes.
Past Winning Parties
| Year | Winning Party |
|---|---|
| 1972 | LIB |
| 1974 | LIB |
| 1975 | LIB |
| 1977 | LIB |
| 1980 | LIB |
| 1983 | LIB |
| 1984 | LIB |
| 1987 | LIB |
| 1990 | LIB |
| 1993 | LIB |
| 1996 | LIB |
| 1998 | LIB |
| 2001 | LIB |
| 2004 | LIB |
| 2007 | LIB |
| 2010 | LIB |
| 2013 | LIB |
| 2016 | LIB |
| 2019 | LIB |
| 2022 | LIB |
(Victories by a party of government are indicated by thick coloured underlining.)
2022 Polling Place Results
Liberal Party support in Sturt is stronger in the south and near the Adelaide Hills, the Labor vote increasing in the north. Liberal majorities were recorded at 16 polling against 31 for Labor. Ignoring external joint polling places, Liberal two-party preferred results rose from 39.0% at Wandana Primary School in Giles Plains on the northern edge of the electorate, to 61.2% at Beaumont Scout Hall in the south.
(Click on polling place for results)
The Labor Party won polling day with 51.3% of the two-party preferred vote, but the Liberal Party scrambled to victory through votes cast before election day, winning 52.6% of the Pre-Poll two-party preferred vote and 55.2% with Postals.
Past Results
The Liberal Party two-party preferred vote has always been above its level of state-wide support, the gap having widened at recent elections after former MP Christopher Pyne came close to defeat on the election of the Rudd government in 2007. But then the gap narrowed again in 2022. Results 1983-2019
2022 Preference Flows
2025 Candidates in Ballot Paper Order (7 Candidates)
| Candidate Name | Party |
|---|---|
| CLUTTERHAM, Claire | Australian Labor Party |
| MERVIN JOSHUA, | Family First |
| STEVENS, James | Liberal |
| COOPER, Verity | Independent |
| BOGATEC, Peter | Pauline Hanson's One Nation |
| DUFFIELD, Nicholas | Trumpet of Patriots |
| McCUSKER, Katie | The Greens |
More on Candidates
Claire Clutterham
Australian Labor Party
Clutterham has a career in law with 20 years of Australian and international experience in commercial law, contract advice and international arbitration proceedings. Closer to home she is an elected councillor for the Norwood Payneham and St Peters Council and is a board member with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
James Stevens
Liberal
Stevens was President of the South Australian Young Liberals from 2004 to 2006, and before being pre-selected to replace Christopher Pyne, was working as Chief of Staff to South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Stevens has previously worked for Pyne and been his campaign manager. Before politics Stevens was Commercial Manager and General Manager for Michell Wool, Australia's oldest and largest exporter of wool fibre. Stevens was easily elected in 2019 but faced a much tighter contest in 2022 and is left defending a tiny margin at the 2025 election.
Verity Cooper
Independent
Cooper's family has lived in Adelaide since 1861, running the brewery business for six generations. Verity grew up and went to school in Sturt where she has also raised her own children. For over thirty five years she has served the local community by working at her local GP practice.
Peter Bogatec
Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Bogatec joined the Royal Australian Navy at just 16 and later went on to serve as a NSW Police Officer, an Army Reserve Officer, and ultimately as a Commando Officer in Special Operations Command, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He completed 28 years of service, discharging as a Major, gaining firsthand experience in national security, community safety and leadership. He later earned a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice and a Bachelor of International Studies in 2020 and as a barrister advocating for veterans in family law proceeding
Nicholas Duffield
Trumpet of Patriots
Duffield is the Founding President of Trumpet of Patriots, with over 25 years of leadership across construction, health services, recruitment, and commercial operations. After completing his Business degree at UniSA, he has led national business development initiatives, built high-performing teams, and delivered strong outcomes across both the private and not-for-profit sectors. A former SA Senate candidate, he has also fought for vulnerable Australians as a litigation guardian and advocate for people with disability navigating the NDIS.
Katie McCusker
The Greens
McCusker was born, raised and continues to live locally with her son. She has a degree in politics and psychology and has worked predominantly in the South Australian Public Sector. McCusker has a strong history of social justice activism, with a particular passion for working towards first nation people's equity. McCusker contested Dunstan, then known as Norwood, at the 2010 state election, contested Dunstan at a March 2024 by-election, and was the Greens candidate for Sturt at the 2022 Federal election.
2022 Result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Stevens | LIB | 48,579 | 43.1 | -7.4 |
| Sonja Baram | ALP | 34,528 | 30.7 | +0.8 |
| Katie McCusker | GRN | 18,454 | 16.4 | +5.2 |
| Stephen Grant | UAP | 3,008 | 2.7 | +0.2 |
| Alexander Allwood | ONP | 2,893 | 2.6 | +2.6 |
| David Sherlock | AJP | 1,531 | 1.4 | -0.3 |
| Thomas McMahon | LDP | 1,147 | 1.0 | +1.0 |
| Inty Elham | OTH | 1,007 | 0.9 | +0.9 |
| Kathy Scarborough | FED | 755 | 0.7 | +0.7 |
| Angela Fulco | OTH | 457 | 0.4 | -0.1 |
| Chris Schmidt | OTH | 251 | 0.2 | +0.2 |
| .... | OTH | 0 | 0.0 | -3.8 |
| After Preferences | ||||
| James Stevens | LIB | 56,813 | 50.5 | -6.4 |
| Sonja Baram | ALP | 55,797 | 49.5 | +6.4 |