1968 Higgins by-election
{{Short description|Australian federal by-election}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1968 Higgins by-election
| country = Australia
| type = Parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1966 Australian federal election
| previous_year = 1966
| election_date = 24 February 1968
| next_election = 1969 Australian federal election
| next_year = 1969
| turnout = 35,158 (84.87%)
| registered =
| seats_for_election = Division of Higgins in the House of Representatives
| candidate1 = John Gorton
| image1 = x150px
| party1 = Liberal Party of Australia
| popular_vote1 = 24,067
| percentage1 = 69.40%
| swing1 = {{increase}}6.12
| candidate2 = David Bennett
| image2 = 100px
| party2 = Australian Labor Party
| popular_vote2 = 9,601
| percentage2 = 27.69%
| swing2 = {{increase}}2.53
| title = MP
| before_election = Harold Holt
| before_party = Liberal Party of Australia
| after_election = John Gorton
| after_party = Liberal Party of Australia
}}
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Higgins on 24 February 1968. It was triggered by the presumed drowning death of the Prime Minister and Liberal Party MP Harold Holt on 17 December 1967.
Background
On 15 January 1968, Speaker William Aston stated that there was conclusive evidence that Holt had died, and that a writ would be issued for the by-election. Senator John Gorton, who had been elected party leader and Prime Minister by his party colleagues on 9 January, was preselected unopposed to run for the Liberal Party on 31 January. The Australian Labor Party nominated David Bennett, a research officer with the Australian Council for Educational Research, whilst the Democratic Labor Party, who had received 11.56% of the vote at the November 1966 election in the seat, opted not to contest the election. The other two candidates were Dr Leonard Webber for the Australia Reform Movement, and a Sydney journalist, Frank Courtis.{{cite journal|last= Hughes |first= Colin |date=August 1968 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January–April 1968 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 14 |issue= 2 |pages= 235–236 |issn=0004-9522}}
Gorton won the by-election for the Liberals with an increased primary vote.
It remains the only time in which a sitting Prime Minister was a candidate in a by-election.
Results
{{Election box begin |
|title=
| title=By-elections 1966-1969
| publisher=Psephos
| url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1966/1966repsby.txt
| access-date=26 October 2009
| archive-date=29 May 2012
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529205051/http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1966/1966repsby.txt
| url-status=dead
}}}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = John Gorton
|party = Liberal
|votes = 24,067
|percentage = 69.40
|change = +6.12
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = David Bennett
|party = Labor
|votes = 9,601
|percentage = 27.69
|change = +2.53
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Leonard Weber
|party = Australian Reform Movement
|votes = 662
|percentage = 1.91
|change = +1.91
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Frank Courtis
|party = Independent
|votes = 347
|percentage = 1.00
|change = +1.00
}}
{{Election box formal|
|votes = 34,677
|percentage = 98.63
|change = +1.39
}}
{{Election box informal|
|votes = 481
|percentage = 1.37
|change = –1.39
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 35,158
|percentage = 84.87
|change = –9.45
}}
{{Election box hold AU party|
|winner = Liberal
|swing = +6.12
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Aus by-elections 26th parl}}
Category:1968 elections in Australia
Category:Victorian federal by-elections