A well-known Bendigo publican has thrown his hat in the ring to challenge Premier Jacinta Allan in November’s state election, ending months of speculation after he nearly pinched the overlapping federal seat from Labor last year.
Andrew Lethlean confirmed on Saturday that he would seek to be preselected as the National Party candidate in Bendigo East, a seat Allan has held since she was first elected in 1999.
“I’ve had enough of this government and I don’t think I am alone,” Lethlean said in a social media post.
“So many people are doing it tough and things have to change.”
The preselection closes on April 9, but Lethlean has drawn strong support from the party’s leaders in recent months after his strong showing in last year’s federal election, and looms as the most likely candidate.
At the 2022 federal poll, Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters convincingly won the seat with a 12.1 per cent margin. But her primary vote dropped to 33.6 per cent last year, as Lethlean polled 29.7 per cent and left Chesters hanging on with a narrow 1.4 per cent margin.
That came despite a nationwide swing to Labor, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won a thumping majority with 94 seats in the House of Representatives.
Lethlean argued on Saturday that the state government was “city-centric” and “had its priorities all wrong”.
“Crime is out of control, cost of living through the roof, local businesses are battling when they should be thriving,” he said.
“I grew up in this fabulous town. I remember the vibrant city, the busy streets where you felt safe and I had opportunity.
“Sadly my kids don’t understand that.”
Allan was re-elected in Bendigo East with a convincing 10.8 per cent margin four years ago.
This year, however, her government is facing widespread voter malaise as Labor seeks to win a fourth consecutive term in power in Victoria.
The latest Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for The Age over the first two months of this year, found Labor’s primary vote was flat-lining at 28 per cent.
Only one in five respondents nominated Allan as their preferred premier – her lowest score on that measure since she took over from Daniel Andrews in 2023. Her net satisfaction rating registered at -37.
Poor poll numbers have fuelled speculation about Allan’s leadership in recent weeks, with Labor sources – speaking anonymously to detail internal deliberations – saying backroom discussions had taken place about whether a change was needed to boost Labor’s chances.
The premier last month dismissed such speculation as “anonymous gossip” from “a few scallywags”.
