In the recent federal by-election held in Cook, the Liberal party managed to maintain its stronghold in the area, a safe seat that was previously held by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The victory came as no surprise, particularly since the Labor party chose not to field a candidate, essentially giving the Liberal candidate, Simon Kennedy, a clear path to success.
Election analyst Antony Green from the ABC called the result in favor of the Liberals shortly after polling closed, with Kennedy securing over 70% of the vote in a competition where the Greens candidate, Martin Moore, only managed to garner 29% by 7:30pm. The absence of a Labor candidate in the race made it a rather uneventful contest to fill the seat formerly occupied by Morrison, with the by-election having limited surprises or twists.
Despite a planned election night event to thank volunteers, it was canceled in light of a tragic incident involving a mass stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction. Earlier on election day, Kennedy was seen at Burraneer Public School distributing how-to-vote cards, accompanied by his wife and children. Notably, although Morrison made a brief appearance at a polling station to film a social media video with Kennedy, it was revealed that Kennedy himself was ineligible to vote in the by-election due to moving into the electorate after the rolls had closed on March 18th. This fact seemed to catch NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman off guard during a public appearance with the candidate, showcasing an awkward moment that was swiftly navigated by Kennedy.