By Alesha Capone
Sitting Labor MP Joanne Ryan is leading in the seat of Lalor as counting continues in today’s federal election.
Ms Ryan holds 52.69 per cent (9928 votes) of first-preference votes counted so far, a swing of 0.11 to Labor since the last federal election.
Liberal Party candidate Gayle Murphy holds 29.33 per cent (5527) of first preference votes counted.
Greens candidate Jay Dessi, who quit the election race after the ballot papers were printed, holds 8.68 per cent (1636) of the first preference votes counted.
United Australia Party candidate Jeffrey Edward Robinson holds 4.14 per cent (780 votes) of the first preference votes and Australia First Party candidate Sue Jakobi holds 3.88 per cent (731 votes).
Since polls closed this afternoon, AEC officials have counted 19,704 of the votes cast in Lalor. About 106,790 people are eligible to vote in the electorate, which includes Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit, Truganina and parts of Point Cook.
In the seat of Gellibrand, which covers Seabrook and parts of Laverton North, Point Cook and Williams Landing, incumbent Labor MP Tim Watts holds 51.79 per cent (12,891) of the first-preference votes counted, followed by Liberal candidate Anthony Mitchell with 25.14 per cent (6257 votes).
This represents a swing of 3.99 per cent to Labor and a swing of 2.90 away from the Liberals, since the last election.
