Votes were still being tallied and rechecked on Sunday afternoon with Barnaby Joyce’s campaign reeling-in near record breaking numbers.
Mr Joyce almost secured 50 per cent of the primary vote by Sunday afternoon and could have as many as seven-in-ten of the electorate’s votes once the preferences are distributed.
Despite taking on 16 other candidates, ABC election analyst Antony Green threw in the towel early in the fight and declared Mr Joyce would retain the seat only 75 minutes after polls closed and with less than six per cent of the vote counted.
A hometown advantage was laid bare for Mr Joyce who claimed 100 out of 129 votes placed at Woolbrook Public School.
However, Mr Joyce was trumped at the polls in Werris Creek, the hometown of his political arch-rival and 2016 election sparring partner Tony Windsor.
Labor candidate David Ewings bested Mr Joyce at the Werris Creek Public School polling booth snagging 52.04 per cent of the two-party preferred count, after preferences were distributed.
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