Chaman Tiwari has been elected as the new councillor for Thomastown Ward in the City of Whittlesea, securing victory in a closely contested by-election triggered by the resignation of former councillor Nic Brooks.
The result was officially declared by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) on Friday after the distribution of preferences. Tiwari led the field on primary votes, receiving 2,013 first-preference votes, representing 20.41 per cent of the formal vote.
Following the preference count, Tiwari defeated Belinda Stojcevski by 5,189 votes to 4,674, securing 52.61 per cent of the final two-candidate-preferred vote and winning by a margin of 515 votes.
The by-election was held by postal vote, with voting closing on May 29. Of the 13,711 enrolled voters in Thomastown Ward, 10,292 ballots were returned, resulting in a turnout of 75.06 per cent. The VEC recorded 9,863 formal votes and 429 informal votes.
Nine candidates contested the election, including Tiwari, Belinda Stojcevski, Edward Sukkar, Joseph Paola, Sarah Garnham, Stevan Kozmevski, Aryan Singh, Andrew Filippopoulos and Paul Seidl.
A Thomastown resident for more than 15 years, Tiwari campaigned on issues including cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods, improved roads and footpaths, stronger support for seniors and families, and better value for ratepayers. She also highlighted the need to address local infrastructure concerns, including the Acacia and Waratah Street intersection.
In her campaign statement, Tiwari described herself as a local business owner, mother and proud Labor member committed to improving services and representation for residents.
The victory restores full representation to Thomastown Ward, which had been without a councillor since Brooks resigned in January. Tiwari now joins the City of Whittlesea Council, representing one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing and most culturally diverse communities.
Her election is being welcomed by supporters as a strong endorsement of grassroots community leadership and a commitment to addressing local concerns. Tiwari’s immediate challenge will be turning her campaign promises into tangible outcomes for residents and delivering improvements across the ward.