ALP 21.8%
Incumbent MP
Susan Close, since 2012.
Geography
Northern Adelaide. The electorate covers the suburbs of Birkenhead, Cavan, Dry Creek, Ethelton, Gillman, Largs North, North Haven, Osborne, Ottoway, Outer Harbor, Peterhead, Taperoo, Wingfield and parts of Bolivar, Gepps Cross, Globe Derby Park, Largs Bay, Pooraka and Rosewater. The electorate covers parts of Port Adelaide Enfield and Salisbury council areas.
Redistribution
Port Adelaide contracted slightly in the south-west, losing Semaphore South to Lee.
History
The name ‘Port Adelaide’ has been used by three incarnations of an electorate in the area. The first was a two-member electorate that existed from 1857 to 1887. The second was a Labor seat from 1938 until 1970.
The current electorate has existed since 2002, replacing the electorate of Hart that existed from 1993 to 2002. The seat has been held by two successive Labor MPs.
Hart was won in 1993 by Kevin Foley. Foley was re-elected in Hart in 1997, and in 2002 moved to Port Adelaide.
Foley was elected deputy leader of the ALP after the 2002 election, and thus became Deputy Premier in the Rann government.
Foley served as Deputy Premier and Treasurer until early 2011, when he stepped down from those roles. He resigned from Cabinet entirely in October 2011, and then resigned from Parliament in December 2011.
Labor candidate Susan Close won the 2012 by-election, and has been re-elected three times.
Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Susan Close is not running for re-election.
- Scott Anderson (Liberal)
- Claire Boan (Independent)
- Joel Hendrie (One Nation)
- Cheyne Rich (Labor)
- Hayden Shaw (Greens)
Assessment
Port Adelaide is a very safe Labor seat.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Redist |
| Susan Close | Labor | 14,074 | 58.3 | +10.4 | 58.4 |
| Chad McLaren | Liberal | 5,448 | 22.6 | +4.0 | 22.6 |
| Jim Moss | Greens | 2,471 | 10.2 | +4.4 | 10.1 |
| Lucia Snelling | Family First | 1,204 | 5.0 | +5.0 | 5.0 |
| Adrian Romeo | Animal Justice | 945 | 3.9 | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| Informal | 850 | 3.4 |
2022 two-party-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Redist |
| Susan Close | Labor | 17,335 | 71.8 | +5.0 | 71.8 |
| Chad McLaren | Liberal | 6,807 | 28.2 | -5.0 | 28.2 |
Booths have been divided into four parts: central, east, north and south.
Labor won a majority of the two-party-preferred vote in all four areas, ranging from 70.1% in the north to 75.5% in the east.
The Greens came third, with a primary vote ranging from 7.8% in the north to 13.4% in the south.
| Voter group | GRN prim | ALP 2PP | Total votes | % of votes |
| South | 13.4 | 73.0 | 4,982 | 21.2 |
| North | 7.8 | 70.1 | 4,603 | 19.6 |
| Central | 9.8 | 72.0 | 2,985 | 12.7 |
| East | 9.5 | 75.5 | 1,849 | 7.9 |
| Other votes | 9.8 | 71.3 | 9,057 | 38.6 |
Election results in Port Adelaide at the 2022 South Australian state election
Toggle between two-party-preferred votes and primary votes for Labor, the Liberal Party and the Greens.
Deputy Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close has resigned from her positions and will retire as the Member for Port Adelaide in 2026.
Lucy Hood will gain the environment portfolio, Kyan Maher will become the next Deputy Premier.
Interestingly this seat has been held by two deputy premiers, with Susan Close’s predecessor Kevin Foley serving in the role under Mike Rann.
This seat is an almost certain/guaranteed Labor retain with the party having held it and its predecessors (Hart and Semaphore) continuously since Federation with only a brief interlude when independent Norm Petersen held it during the late 80’s/early 90’s.
@Yoh An – what I also find interesting is how Kyam Maher is from the Legislative Council rather than the House of Assembly. I don’t know if it will happen but is there a chance he may be pushed into this seat? It would give him a safe pathway into the House of Assembly.
Regardless of if he is picked or someone else is chosen and stays in the LC, Labor retain. No way I can see Labor losing here.
Former Deputy Premier Susan Close and former Treasurer Stephen Mullighan’s retirements have taken me by surprise. I was also disapponted in Susan Close’s retirement because I have hoped she can become SA’s first ever female Premier. I wish them both all the best with the next chapter in their lives after their great political careers.