LNP 5.4%
Incumbent MP
Rob Molhoek, since 2012.
Geography
Northern Gold Coast. Southport includes the suburbs of Ashmore and Molendinar and parts of Benowa, Bundall and Southport.
History
Southport has existed in its current form since the 1977 election. For most of that time the seat was held by the National Party, and then by Labor from 2001 to 2012, when it was won by the LNP.
The seat was first won in 1977 by Liberal candidate Peter White. He held the seat until resigning in 1980 to run for the 1981 by-election for the federal seat of McPherson. He held McPherson until his retirement in 1990.
Doug Jennings won Southport for the National Country Party in 1980. He had previously been the Liberal MP for the Victorian state seat of Westernport from 1976 to 1979, when he was expelled from his party and then lost his seat at the election. He held Southport until his death in 1987.
Mick Veivers won Southport for the National Party in 1987 after Jennings’ death. He served as a minister in the Borbidge coalition government from 1996 to 1998 and continued to hold his seat until his defeat in the landslide election of 2001.
The ALP’s Peter Lawlor won Southport in 2001 with a swing of almost 14% off the National Party. The former Gold Coast City alderman held the seat for four terms, and served as a minister from 2009 to 2011.
In 2012, Lawlor was defeated by LNP candidate Rob Molhoek. Molhoek has been re-elected three times.
- Ruth Fea (Family First)
- Mitch McCausland (Greens)
- David Vaughan (One Nation)
- Letitia Del Fabbro (Labor)
- Rob Molhoek (Liberal National)
Assessment
Southport is a marginal LNP seat.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Rob Molhoek | Liberal National | 12,734 | 45.6 | -1.5 |
| Susie Gallagher | Labor | 9,650 | 34.5 | +4.9 |
| Alan Quinn | Greens | 2,532 | 9.1 | -1.5 |
| Raphael Felix | One Nation | 1,631 | 5.8 | +5.8 |
| Brett Lambert | Independent | 669 | 2.4 | +2.4 |
| Maria Avdjieva | United Australia | 456 | 1.6 | +1.6 |
| Jack Drake | Civil Liberties & Motorists | 267 | 1.0 | -1.9 |
| Informal | 1,269 | 4.3 |
2020 two-party-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Rob Molhoek | Liberal National | 15,482 | 55.4 | -1.8 |
| Susie Gallagher | Labor | 12,457 | 44.6 | +1.8 |
Booths in Southport have been divided into three areas: north, south and west.
The LNP won a majority of the two-party-preferred vote in the west (53.9%) and south (57.5%), while Labor polled 51.6% in the north. The LNP also polled 57% of the pre-poll vote.
| Voter group | GRN prim % | LNP 2PP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| West | 10.2 | 53.9 | 2,887 | 10.3 |
| North | 12.2 | 48.4 | 2,872 | 10.3 |
| South | 9.6 | 57.5 | 1,719 | 6.2 |
| Pre-poll | 7.7 | 57.0 | 11,862 | 42.5 |
| Other votes | 9.4 | 55.6 | 8,599 | 30.8 |
Election results in Southport at the 2020 Queensland state election
Toggle between two-party-preferred votes and primary votes for the Liberal National Party, Labor and the Greens.
LNP MP Rob Molhoek has had some time off this year to deal with health issues. To be honest, I’m surprised he hasn’t used this as his opportunity to bow out of politics in October – but it seems he’s recontesting.
Labor has missed the boat to gain Southport back – that being in 2017 or 2020. LNP retain this year and I’d expect it to be Molhoek’s final term.
@ PRP
IMHO the creation of Bonney has made this seat safer for the LNP short of 2001/2004 style win i dont expect Labor to win it back. Just like Broadwater is now super safe where it was once Labor held.
yeah, quite right. Unless Labrador reunites with Southport itself – this seat will continue as a fairly safe LNP seat.
Poll Bludger Shows 5 candidates on the ballot in the order of LNP, Labor, Greens, One Nation & Family First.
https://www.pollbludger.net/qld2024/LA.htm?s=Southport
If Labrador reunites with Southport which I suspect it might at redistribution it will no longer be called Southport as any redistribution would shift south