Allan faces battle to hold onto once-safe Bendigo East seat

Jacinta Allan is no longer premier of Victoria, but the next fight of her political life is fast approaching.

The long-time Bendigo East MP will face voters in four months at the state election, with her once-safe seat emerging as one of Labor’s biggest battlegrounds.

Allan holds Bendigo East by more than 10 per cent, but a Redbridge poll earlier this month projected Labor would lose the electorate amid a surge in support for One Nation.

The seat is among 26 electorates Labor reportedly considers at risk and is expected to target heavily during the election campaign.

Allan has represented Bendigo East since defeating four-term Liberal MP Michael John in 1999 and has been re-elected at each of the past six state elections.

At the 2022 election, she secured 48.3 per cent of first-preference votes and defeated Liberal candidate Darrin Schade with 60.3 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.

While One Nation is yet to name a candidate for the seat, Nationals hopeful Andrew Lethlean is emerging as Allan’s main rival among the declared field.

Lethlean, who was preselected in April, has worked as a publican for 30 years and is returning to politics after contesting the federal seat of Bendigo in 2025, where he secured a 10 per cent swing against incumbent Labor MP Lisa Chesters.

Election analyst Antony Green has described Lethlean as a “strong challenger” in Bendigo East.

The Liberals are not expected to contest Bendigo East under the Coalition agreement, although party volunteers have been doorknocking in the electorate.

Local engineer Michael Tolhurst will again contest Bendigo East for the Greens after polling 8.7 per cent of the primary vote in 2022.

Victorians head to the polls on 28 November.