Greens Leader Concedes Defeat, Says Preferences and Trump Effect Impacted His Party

Adam Bandt has held the seat of Melbourne for 14 years.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt speaks to media in the seat of Wills in Melbourne, Australia, on May 3, 2025. Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

After days of holding out hope, Greens leader Adam Bandt has finally admitted defeat to Labor’s Sarah Witty after a tight race, ending his 14-year hold on the seat.

Vote counting on May 8 showed Witty leading by roughly 4,387 votes in a contest that flipped the 6.5 percent Greens two-party preferred margin.

Bandt confirmed he had phoned Witty to concede, congratulate her and offer his best wishes as Melbourne’s next MP.

Witty, head of The Nappy Collective, a charity providing essential supplies to families in need, is set to return the seat to Labor for the first time since 2010.

The result leaves the Greens staring down the loss of three of their four seats in the House of Representatives with their attempt to win the seat of Wills in northern Melbourne falling just short.

Labor has taken over the former Greens seats of Brisbane and Griffith, held by Stephen Bates and Max Chandler-Mather, while the western Brisbane seat of Ryan remains in play.

Bandt Blames Boundaries, Trump, and Preferences

Speaking to journalists, Bandt pointed to three key reasons behind the Greens’ defeat in Melbourne.

“First, the boundaries of Melbourne changed, and a lot of people in very high Greens-voting areas who'd been with us on this journey were moved out. A lot of new people south of the river were moved in—people who we didn’t have a huge amount of time to make such a deep connection with.”

The second reason Bandt claimed was that voters changed their preference based on the perceived links between Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“How big an effect Trump had, and how no one had really predicted that at the start. That huge riptide from Liberal to Labor had an effect on us as well.”

“People in Melbourne hate Peter Dutton, and with very good reason. They’ve seen his brand of toxic racism on display for many years.”

Bandt also praised Labor’s campaign for linking Dutton to the U.S. president.

“Labor did run a very good campaign. They linked Trump to Peter Dutton and made it clear—as we sought to do as well—that Dutton was about trying to bring the Trump style of politics to Australia, and I think it became one of the key defining features of the election that drove a big part of the 5-week riptide. “

On the third point, Bandt said preference flows ultimately sealed the Greens’ fate.

“Labor won Melbourne on Liberal and One Nation preferences. It’s not like traditional contests where Labor just has to beat Liberal. The Greens had to beat Labor and Liberal combined. It’s climbing Everest, and we’ve managed to do it a few times, but this time we fell just short.”

Bandt’s Exit Sparks Leadership Questions

With Bandt stepping away from the lower house, the party must now prepare for a leadership transition. Senate business manager Sarah Hanson-Young and deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi are emerging as potential successors.

Faruqi has rejected any suggestions of her stepping up to the leadership.

“Adam is still our leader. And can I say Adam is a fantastic leader, and we worked really well as a team, as leader and deputy leader, and I am hoping that he gets back in and we can continue on with that leadership team,” she told ABC Radio National on May 8 morning.

She refuted claims that she was quietly canvassing support. “That is absolutely not correct.”

Bandt steered clear from any word on the next leader, but said the movement still had a big future.

“Our movement has a big future. It’s a movement with a lot of heart, and we are going to keep growing. ”

Labor, Nationals Say Voters Have Sent a Message

Former Opposition Leader Dutton wrote on X that “no spin” from the Greens leader could change the reality that they lost because of their “appalling treatment of the Jewish community.”

“Australians were rightly disgusted at their behaviour,” he said, after leaving Canberra and vacating his position.

“We were proud to preference the Greens last, helping to ensure Adam Bandt’s loss.”

Earlier in the day, Labor Minister Don Farrell said voters had delivered a clear verdict on the Greens’ recent parliamentary conduct.

“Nobody wants to see anybody lose their job, and I’m not happy about Adam Bandt losing his job,” Farrell said.

“But the fact is, they paid a political price for blocking sensible, progressive policies—particularly on housing—in the last parliament.”

He added he was hopeful the Greens would now support more constructive policies under the Albanese government.

Nationals leader David Littleproud was more blunt in his assessment.

“The electorate has seen through the Greens—they’re not the tree-huggers they once appeared to be,” he told the ABC. “They’ve aligned with the CFMEU and they’re clearly out of step with the broader community. The voters have now held them to account.”