Hobart councillor Ben Lohberger has been elected the city’s deputy lord mayor, overtaking Simon Behrakis on preferences to win by 3,439 votes.
Lohberger finished the final count with 14,230 votes to Behrakis’s 10,791, giving him 56.9% of the vote after preferences.
Behrakis, who stood as a Liberal candidate at the 2025 state election, had narrowly led on first preferences with 18.4%. Lohberger was on 17.9%.
Lohberger, who has been on the council since 2022, ran as an independent and described himself in campaign material as “a true independent who works for the community”.
His campaign centred on integrity, community and hard work.
He promised “community representation, fiscal responsibility and a steady hand” as deputy.
Among the priorities listed on his campaign website were gifts and donations, removing councillor perks, short stay accommodation, the Halls Saddle visitor hub and the stadium.
During the campaign, he said all-weather access for the proposed kunanyi/Mount Wellington cable car “is dangerous and should be ruled out”. He also backed removing councillors’ parking meter exemption, a motion that was lost 4-8 in March.
10 candidates contested the role, including sitting deputy lord mayor Zelinda Sherlock.
She was excluded during the count after receiving 5,449 first preferences. Sherlock also looks set to lose her seat as a councillor.
Councillor Louise Elliot received 4,004 first preferences, Susan Wallace 2,495 and Edwin Johnstone 1,961.
Of the 31,235 ballots counted, 29,357 were formal and 1,878 were informal, an informal rate of 6%. Those counted made up 98% of the 31,882 ballots returned.
Election analyst Kevin Bonham said the deputy result was “close to a 12-point better left-right margin” than the lord mayor contest.
He said the two races were not directly comparable.
The lord mayor race was “an independent vs a Green”, while the deputy race involved “a well known unofficial Liberal vs a left independent with some crossover appeal”.
Bonham said he would have more to say on related themes once the councillor count numbers were final.
Former 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley was declared Hobart’s lord mayor on Thursday night, winning 55% of the final vote.
Wooley, who ran as an independent, overtook Greens candidate Bill Harvey after John Kelly was excluded and his preferences were distributed.
