Liberal Party projected to retain Victorian seat of Monash
Mary Aldred has been projected to win the seat of Monash. (ABC Gippsland: Millicent Spencer)
The Liberal Party has retained the regional Victorian seat of Monash, the ABC projects.
Mary Aldred will be the next member for the Victorian seat, defeating Russell Broadbent, who became an independent after losing Liberal preselection.
A long-time Liberal stronghold, Monash has been held by Mr Broadbent since he won it back from Labor in 2004.
He retained the seat at the 2022 election with a reduced margin of 2.9 per cent.
Russell Broadbent says he is confident he will retain his seat. (ABC News)
The seat has been in doubt because there are no candidates with more than a third of the first preference vote, and it had not been clear which two candidates would be the final two in the count.
But ABC chief elections analyst Antony Green says further counting by the AEC has determined that the seat will be a Labor-Liberal contest, which Mary Aldred will go on to win.
It is the 42nd seat won by the Coalition, with three seats still in doubt.
The seat of Monash stretches from the High Country to the coastal seascapes of Wilsons Promontory, and includes some of Victoria's fastest-growing communities.
Pundits initially noted that Mr Broadbent was facing serious pressure from Phillip Island-based independent Deb Leonard, and that for the first time, Monash could elect an MP from outside the major parties.
However Ms Aldred, who is the daughter of former MP Ken Aldred, is set to keep the seat under the Liberals' grasp.
Ms Aldred has worked as the founding CEO of the Committee for Gippsland, and as CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia.
She also has served as chair or board member of community organisations such as the Gippsland United Basketball League, Lifeline Gippsland and Latrobe Regional Hospital.