Labor have claimed victory in the Kiama by-election, with Katelin McInerney set to replace disgrace former MP Gareth Ward in NSW Parliament.

McInerney was the frontrunner in a largely two-horse race against Liberal candidate Serena Copley and had been forecast for a landslide victory.

Just before 8.30pm, Copley conceded defeat, with McInerney holding a considerable lead after just 40 per cent of the vote was counted.

Labor had previously held the seat of Kiama since its creation in 1981, until losing it to Ward in 2011.

McInerney now has less than 18 months to win the trust of voters before the next state election.

How it all unfolded

Polls closed at 6pm after thousands of residents voted on their new representative to replace the disgraced state parliamentarian.

According to the NSW Electoral Commission, more than 21,000 residents voted early at pre-polling booths and through postal voting.

There were 13 candidates on the ballot, including Greens candidate Tonia Gray.

Major parties and independent candidates were out on the campaign trail yesterday in a bid to secure votes.

Minns and Speakman both toured the South Coast alongside their party’s candidates in a show of support. 

Minns admitted he was “nervous” about the race.

Today’s by-election occurred because Ward unexpectedly stepped down as Kiama MP on August 8, just before his fellow parliamentarians were about to cast their votes on the first expulsion motion in 107 years.

He had lost his legal bid to delay the state’s parliamentarians from tabling the motion.

The 44-year-old was convicted in July of four sex offences against two young men in 2013 and 2015.

Ward has held the Kiama since 2011, winning three elections under the Liberal banner before securing the 2023 poll as an independent.

He won the last election despite being charged with sex offences.