1968 Higgins by-election

Australian federal by-election July 2020 July 2020 1968 Higgins by-election Australia Parliamentary no 1966 Australian federal election 1966 24 February 1968 1969 Australian federal election 1969 35,158 (84.87%) Division of Higgins in the House of Representatives John Gorton x150px Liberal Party of Australia 24,067 69.40% 6.12 David Bennett 100px Australian Labor Party 9,601 27.69% 2.53 MP Harold Holt Liberal Party of Australia John Gorton 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. Hughes Colin August 1968 Australian Political Chronicle: January–April 1968 Australian Journal of Politics and History 14 2 235–236 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 [[1968 Higgins by-election]]By-elections 1966-1969 Psephos http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1966/1966repsby.txt 26 October 2009 29 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120529205051/http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1966/1966repsby.txt dead John Gorton Liberal 24,067 69.40 +6.12 David Bennett Labor 9,601 27.69 +2.53 Leonard Weber Australian Reform Movement 662 1.91 +1.91 Frank Courtis Independent 347 1.00 +1.00 34,677 98.63 +1.39 481 1.37 –1.39 35,158 84.87 –9.45 Liberal +6.12 See also 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election List of Australian federal by-elections References Category:1968 elections in Australia Category:Victorian federal by-elections Category:1960s in Victoria (state) Category:February 1968 in Australia