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Council & Politics

14 December, 2025

Liberals select Ripon candidate

The Liberal Party has selected its candidate to contest Ripon at next year's election. Former Liberal staffer Andrew Kilmartin will take on Labor's Martha Haylett after being chosen at a meeting of the Liberal Party executive in Melbourne today. Mr Kilmartin outpolled former Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh, Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Ben Green, ambulance call taker Nathan Anderson and farmer Susie Morro. He unsuccessfully stood as the Liberal candidate for Buninyong in 2018. Ripon is set to be a three way contest with the Nationals confirming they will run a candidate for the first time since 2014. It’s understood the Nationals will wait until the new year before deciding their candidate which is almost certain to be Ararat Rural City Councillor Jo Armstrong. Labor MP Martha Haylett won Ripon at the 2022 election with 52.9% of the two party vote.

By Craig Wilson

Liberal candidate Andrew Kilmartin.
Liberal candidate Andrew Kilmartin.
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