The seat of Ballarat is a relatively safe Labor seat in northwestern Victoria. The seat covers the town of Ballarat itself and surrounding areas, including towns such as Bacchus Marsh.
The seat has been held by the ALP’s Catherine King since 2001, who won it upon the retirement of previous Liberal member Michael Ronaldson (who has now returned as a Senator). The seat has swung back and forth between the major parties since ever since Alfred Deakin retired from the seat a century ago, but has been solidified by King over the last few years, and she now holds the seat by an 8.2% margin.
