Voters in the inner-Melbourne seat of Prahran will head to the polls on 8 February, electing the successor to Sam Hibbins, former co-deputy leader of the Victorian Greens.

Hibbins stepped down from the party in November 2024 after admitting to an extramarital affair with a staffer, later resigning from parliament.

The Greens are hoping to retain Prahran in the by-election, drawing on momentum from widespread dissatisfaction with Labor’s handling of the economy, and Australia’s stance on the war in Gaza.

Despite being a nominally safe seat, the absence of a popular incumbent, coupled with fierce anti-Greens campaigns, are expected to result in a drop in support for the Greens in Prahran.

The Liberal Party and independent candidate Tony Lupton are the main challengers to the Greens, while Labor has not contested the by-election.

The Greens: Angelica Di Camillo

The Greens’ candidate, Angelica Di Camillo, 26, is an environmental engineer and pilates instructor. She previously ran for preselection in multiple seats, winning the Greens’ nomination for Rowville in 2022, Aston in the 2023 by-election, and the now-abolished Higgins in 2024.

Angelica Di Camillo is the Greens’ candidate for Prahran.

“Focused on herself. Not focused on you”

Di Camillo faces an uphill battle in retaining the seat.

Harsh criticism from anti-Greens campaigns portrays her as an outsider to the electorate, highlighting her multiple prior nominations and recent relocation to Prahran.

One attack leaflet distributed within the electorate accuses Di Camillo of prioritising  pro-Palestinian activism over supporting locals, being unable to deliver on campaign promises, and lacking the experience to be a candidate. Referencing Di Camillo’s prior nominations, the leaflet also accuses her of “just want[ing] a seat in Parliament,” and urges voters to “put locals first by putting the Greens last.”

Di Camillo’s prior nominations have made her the target of a harsh anti-Greens campaign.

During the Aston by-election, Di Camillo claimed that she was the only candidate who “actually grew up in the area.” The state electorate of Rowville is located within Aston.

Di Camillo currently lives in St Kilda East, partly within the boundaries of Prahran. However, St Kilda East does not fall within the boundaries of Higgins, which she won preselection for prior to its abolition.

Speaking with Farrago, a Victorian Greens member active within the Prahran campaign expressed concern over Di Camillo’s candidacy.

“Many local members have questioned whether Ms. Di Camillo is best placed to win the by-election… she carries significant baggage as a candidate, including among party members.”

In May 2024, Di Camillo was accused by a fellow Victorian Greens member of profiting off of the war in Gaza, as her partner had worked for BAE Systems, a defense company that has contracts with the Israeli Defense Forces.

Di Camillo’s partner has since resigned from the company at the recommendation of the party, but this saga has reportedly left a sour taste in the mouths of some branch members.

Di Camillo told Farrago that she was not concerned about the attack campaign, and is optimistic about voters’ response to the Greens’ 50c public transport fare policy.

“The reception has been really positive. A lot of people have come up and said to me how much of a difference it would make to their weekly budget.”

The federal Greens have been pushing for 50c fares nationwide, after its successful implementation in Queensland by the Miles Labor government.

The Greens have been pushing for national 50c public transportation fares.

An affluent inner-city seat, 44 per cent of Prahran residents in 2021 were actively attending a tertiary educational institution, almost double the state average. 17 per cent of Prahran residents either took public transport or walked to work, over two times the state average.

The Greens have marketed their 50c fares as a component of their cost-of-living policy, which also includes rent regulation, funding for public housing, and price caps on groceries.

The Liberals: Rachel Westaway

Di Camillo’s primary opponent is Liberal candidate Rachel Westaway, 55, president of the Thai Australia Chamber, and a South Yarra resident of 20 years.

Westaway had previously been a Liberal candidate for New South Wales’ upper house in 2003 and was a member of the now-abolished Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Like Di Camillo, Westaway has campaigned on cost-of-living action, but has also run a ‘tough on crime’ campaign focused on increasing policing.

Between 2023 and 2024, the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency recorded a 12 per cent increase in incidents of crime in the Stonnington council area, which comprises most of Prahran.

The suburbs of South Yarra and Prahran recorded the most incidents respectively, with the former seeing a 28 per cent increase in incidents.

Rachel Westaway is the Liberal candidate for Prahran

Multiple high-profile crimes have dominated local headlines, including a stabbing at the Revolver nightclub and a series of arson attacks last year, and another stabbing on Wednesday.

Westaway’s law and order campaign mirrors the approach of newly elected Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin, who ousted predecessor John Pesutto in December.

Battin has made several joint appearances with Westaway, attacking both the Greens and the Allan Labor government for their handling of crime.

While the Liberals are not facing Labor in Prahran, a victory here would signal a significant shift towards the party and strengthen Battin’s leadership ahead of the next state election in 2026.

Independent: Tony Lupton

Labor did not field a candidate for Prahran, reportedly over concerns about the by-election becoming a ‘referendum’ on the Allan Labor government, which has continued to slip in the polls.

Tony Lupton, who held the Prahran seat for Labor between 2002 and 2010, challenged the party’s decision not to contest the by-election, instead running as an independent candidate.

Lupton has previously attacked Labor in The Australian as being “captive to identity politics,” and claimed that the party had “abandoned the Jewish community.”

Lupton told Farrago he is no longer a member of the Labor Party, and is unconcerned with the affairs of the Allan Labor government.

“This by-election won’t result in a change of government.”

“Running with a party as an independent would be disingenuous. I’m about putting Prahran first.”

Former Labor MP Tony Lupton is running as an independent candidate.

Lupton has run a localised campaign focused on education, healthcare, and crime.

Differentiating himself from both the Greens and Liberals, Lupton advocates for a ‘mixed’ approach to crime, through an increase in funding to both policing and social services. 

While independent candidates rarely win by-elections, disillusionment with the other parties could deliver Lupton support among disaffected voters, while his self-described ‘traditional Labor values’ stands to attract support from Labor voters.

However, Lupton’s campaign is significantly smaller than his opponents, and both the Greens and the Liberals have framed the by-election as a contest exclusively between each other.

Nonetheless, he has received multiple high-profile endorsements from his former party, including retired Labor parliamentarians and former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks.

Lupton has also reportedly received support from the right-wing lobby group Advance Australia, which recently has shifted its focus away from Labor towards campaigning against the Greens.

Both Lupton and Westaway have directed voter preferences to each other, in a move to undermine the Greens’ power within the Victorian Parliament.

It is unclear whether this unlikely alliance will be enough to defeat Di Camillo, but either a Westaway or Lupton victory in Prahran would send shockwaves through the Victorian Greens.