Liberal Nicole Werner claims victory in Warrandyte byelection

Liberal "comeback kid" Nicole Warner has claimed victory in the Warrandyte byelection in what the party is framing as a broader repudiation of the Andrews government.

The safe seat, which Labor chose not to contest in this poll, has been held since 1988 by the Liberal Party but sitting Liberal MP Ryan Smith resigned in July to take up a job in the corporate sector, triggering the byelection.

Nicole Werner, the daughter of Malaysian migrants who had previously worked as a Liberal staffer and was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for the seat of Box Hill at the 2022 state election, will now take his place.

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Liberal leader John Pesutto said local voters had "spoken for their fellow Victorians".

"They have said that they're tired of the corruption," he said.

"They have said that they are tired of the incompetence.

"They have become tired of the branch stalking the misuse of taxpayer dollars and the breach of faith with the Victorian people. That's what they said tonight."

Pesutto paid tribute to outgoing MP Smith and described Werner as the "comeback kid" who "represents the future of this party".

Werner said she was "humbled" by the result and promised to fight for the community.

"Mum was born, as many of you know, to an illiterate mother who due to poverty was never sent to school," she said.

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"My grandmother's sacrifice made a way for my mum to be able to move to Australia at 22 years of age to join my dad in 1988, who had moved the year before with his life savings of $800.

"They worked hard and did everything that they could to get ahead.

"Mum tells me this story of being pregnant with me in — 1991 in case you're wondering — a new migrant full of hope and selfless ambition.

"As a first-time mother she would say to me in her belly 'I want you to be a leader and I want you to change the world'."

With more than 60 per cent of votes counted about 10pm on Saturday, Werner had claimed more than 57 per cent of first preference votes, followed by the Greens' Tomas Lightbody with just over 17 per cent.

The Andrews government had such low expectations for its chances of picking up the seat, which had been held by a margin of 4.3 per cent, that it chose not to field a candidate.

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That meant it was not a head-to head battle between Labor and Liberal, and the result doesn't affect which party wields power in Spring Street, but the result was doubtless watched closely by both major parties.

In particular, it was the first chance any Victorian voters had to express potential disapproval at the ballot box for the Andrews government since its controversial move to cancel hosting duties of the Commonwealth Games.

But the opposition has also had its share of woes, with Liberal leader John Pesutto struggling in the polls since claiming the party's top job by just one vote in a party ballot in December 2022.