THE promise of an independent candidate for Calare at every future election is one of the legacy's of Kate Hook's campaign for the seat.
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At 8.30pm on Saturday, Andrew Gee looked assured of maintaining The Nationals' stronghold on Calare with 45.56 per cent of the vote count, with Ms Hook his closest rival with 21.09 per cent.
Labor's Sarah Elliott had 14.94 per cent.
"To be honest I don't know what to expect, I really don't know what to expect," Ms Hook, from Orange, said on Saturday evening.
"There was a good feeling out on the polls this week ... It felt good and positive but it's hard to know, there are so many voters in Calare so it's hard to know."
While the numbers weren't going her way during the count Ms Hook said she had a lot to be happy about after a gruelling six week campaign, with the groundswell of support emphasised by her volunteer base rising to almost 700 people helping out on polling day.
Certainly, the whole group thinks that we need to keep running an independent at every election.
- Kate Hook
"It's been amazing, it's been such an incredible experience of having the community amass behind an idea," she said.
"To think that maybe 18 months ago there was 15 of us sitting around, thinking this could be a good idea, this could work, maybe we can do something to have a healthier democracy maybe we can do something to have some action on big issues like climate change.
"We all agreed the politics need to change."
Ms Hook was one of 23 candidates supported by Simon Holmes a Court's Climate200 group with a goal of bringing climate change to the fore for this election by winning largely Liberal seats.
In Calare, it was more about taking on The Nationals and the Independent for Calare group, which has been running Ms Hook's campaign, has pledged to keep that up.
"Certainly, the whole group thinks that we need to keep running an independent at every election," Ms Hook said.
"If people want it to be me then I am more than happy too but it needs to be the best candidate."
To that end, Independent for Calare will select its candidate, with community input.
"Hopefully we have five amazing people put their hand up and then the community can pick. That way the community participates at that level.
"The groundswell is not going to stop."
"We are in this critical decade. For climate action and for us in Calare it is a critical decade for grabbing this economical opportunity."
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Kate Bowyer
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
Kate Bowyer is a senior reporter at the Central Western Daily.
