Townsville has delivered a resounding rebuke to its former mayor, Troy Thompson, handing him one of his most crushing electoral defeats. In a stunning upset, Nick Dametto, a populist right politician with no prior experience in local government, has emerged victorious, claiming over 61% of the vote in the Townsville mayoral byelection.
Dametto's surprise victory marks one of the biggest swings in Australian electoral history, surpassing even the most optimistic expectations. The former state MP, who hails from a party known for its anti-immigration stance and "castle law," had been touted as a dark horse candidate by some pundits. Yet, it was his unorthodox style and seemingly genuine commitment to serving the people that won over the hearts of Townsville residents.
Dametto's campaign focused on themes of hope and renewal, with promises to deliver better outcomes for the city. Unlike Thompson, who had been embroiled in controversy over allegations of misleading voters about his army service, Dametto avoided damaging controversy throughout the campaign. This helped him build a broad coalition of supporters, including many who were disillusioned with Thompson's leadership.
Dametto's win is significant not only because of its size but also because it reflects a shift in the cultural values of Townsville, a city built on military and mining services that has traditionally been associated with rugged, masculine, pioneer economics and politics. As one political analyst noted, Dametto tapped into this sense of local identity, winning over voters who felt disconnected from mainstream politics.
Dametto's victory also underscores the rising influence of populist right figures in Australian politics. Despite initial doubts about his chances, Dametto proved to be a formidable candidate, leveraging his charm and visibility to win over a large portion of the electorate. This bodes well for his party, which is likely to continue to gain traction in state elections.
For Thompson, the defeat serves as a stark reminder that even in one of Australia's most conservative states, voters can hold leaders accountable for their actions. While he has vowed not to concede defeat entirely, the writing appears to be on the wall. As one observer noted, "when the history is written, it will be more about the colourful soap opera that was the decline of Troy Thompson."
The outcome of this byelection also holds implications for the state government, which faces a test in the upcoming Hinchinbrook by-election. With the election looming on November 29, Dametto's victory could prove to be a morale-booster for Prime Minister David Crisafulli and his coalition government. As Crisafulli himself noted, this result will give Townsville "the local leadership it needs and deserves." Only time will tell whether he can build on this momentum in the lead-up to the by-election.
Dametto's surprise victory marks one of the biggest swings in Australian electoral history, surpassing even the most optimistic expectations. The former state MP, who hails from a party known for its anti-immigration stance and "castle law," had been touted as a dark horse candidate by some pundits. Yet, it was his unorthodox style and seemingly genuine commitment to serving the people that won over the hearts of Townsville residents.
Dametto's campaign focused on themes of hope and renewal, with promises to deliver better outcomes for the city. Unlike Thompson, who had been embroiled in controversy over allegations of misleading voters about his army service, Dametto avoided damaging controversy throughout the campaign. This helped him build a broad coalition of supporters, including many who were disillusioned with Thompson's leadership.
Dametto's win is significant not only because of its size but also because it reflects a shift in the cultural values of Townsville, a city built on military and mining services that has traditionally been associated with rugged, masculine, pioneer economics and politics. As one political analyst noted, Dametto tapped into this sense of local identity, winning over voters who felt disconnected from mainstream politics.
Dametto's victory also underscores the rising influence of populist right figures in Australian politics. Despite initial doubts about his chances, Dametto proved to be a formidable candidate, leveraging his charm and visibility to win over a large portion of the electorate. This bodes well for his party, which is likely to continue to gain traction in state elections.
For Thompson, the defeat serves as a stark reminder that even in one of Australia's most conservative states, voters can hold leaders accountable for their actions. While he has vowed not to concede defeat entirely, the writing appears to be on the wall. As one observer noted, "when the history is written, it will be more about the colourful soap opera that was the decline of Troy Thompson."
The outcome of this byelection also holds implications for the state government, which faces a test in the upcoming Hinchinbrook by-election. With the election looming on November 29, Dametto's victory could prove to be a morale-booster for Prime Minister David Crisafulli and his coalition government. As Crisafulli himself noted, this result will give Townsville "the local leadership it needs and deserves." Only time will tell whether he can build on this momentum in the lead-up to the by-election.
. so nick dametto just comes out of nowhere and steals the show... i mean, i guess it's cool that people are finally listening to someone who's not a career politician or anything, but now we've got some populist right dude in charge? 
not sure what's next for townsville or australia as a whole. i feel like dametto's win just proves that voters are getting more and more fed up with politics, which is kind of sad. can't even get a straight answer from him about his views on immigration 
anyway, hopefully dametto lives up to the hype... but i've got low expectations 
Dametto's win is insane! I mean, who'd have thought a populist right guy with no gov't exp would crush Thompson? 
It's like Townsville voters were sick of the status quo and wanted someone new to shake things up. The dude tapped into that local identity thing and won over a ton of people who felt disconnected from politics. I'm curious to see how this plays out for his party - are they gonna keep raking it in? 
And what's next for Crisafulli? Will he be able to ride the momentum to Hinchinbrook? 
We'll just have to wait and see! 
. People in Townsville were really tired of Thompson's leadership, and he just didn't connect with them on a personal level 
. He should've just kept a low profile instead of all that drama 
.
and Nick Dametto is like the real deal 
I mean, a guy with no experience in local gov and he just takes down this former mayor with 61% of the vote? that's crazy! it's like he tapped into something with that whole "hope and renewal" vibe 
and avoided all the drama that Thompson was involved in.
. it's like Townsville is finally waking up to some new energy 
and this win is a sign that the city is shifting towards something more inclusive 
. but at the same time, I'm also worried about what this says for the state government and their chances in the upcoming by-election 
but one thing's for sure, Nick Dametto is a player to watch 
. Nick Dametto's campaign did seem genuine and people responded well to that 
. I love how he tapped into the sense of local identity in Townsville, it really resonated with voters 
. Now, I'm curious to see if he can deliver on his promises 
. He played it so safe and didn't connect with the people like Dametto did 
. It's funny how you can be the incumbent and still lose an election 
just saw the results of the byelection in Townsville and I'm literally SHOOK 
. It's like Townsville residents were like "you know what, we've had enough of the same old politics" 
Dametto is basically a superhero now 
. His party is gonna be unstoppable 
!
just saw that climate change is causing more intense heatwaves in Australia... like, we're talking 40+ degrees Celsius for weeks on end. It's getting super scary out there, fam 
. And don't even get me started on the Aussie drought - it's been going on for years and still no signs of relief 
. And to make matters worse, sea levels are rising faster than anyone thought... Australia's coastline is literally disappearing 
It's awesome to see Nick Dametto come out on top with his hopeful vibe and commitment to serving the people. The whole 'castle law' thing didn't seem to hold him back 
The fact that Dametto won over so many disillusioned voters who were sick of Thompson's leadership speaks volumes about the changing values in Townsville. It's not all doom and gloom for our politicians; this could be a turning point for some of them to step up their game 
, i'm curious to see how his party rides the wave of success in state elections 
. can't wait for more! 
. With Crisafulli's coalition gov facing an election soon, this result could give 'em a boost of confidence. But we'll have to see how long this momentum lasts