Port Adelaide by-election, 1988

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Port Adelaide on 26 March 1988. This was triggered by the resignation of Labor Party MP Mick Young over alleged mishandling of campaign donations.

The election was won by Labor candidate Rod Sawford, despite an 11.1% swing to the Liberal Party.

Candidates

• Independent – Tony Chaplin.
• Independent – Michael Brander, representing the unregistered National Action.
• Liberal Party of Australia – Judy Fuller.
• Australian Labor Party – Rod Sawford, a local teacher.
• Independent – Bruce Deering.
• Australian Democrats – Meg Lees, previously Democrats candidate for Barker in 1983 and 1984 and third South Australian Senate candidate in 1987. Lees was appointed to the Senate in 1990 after Janine Haines's resignation, and later became leader of the Democrats before leaving the party in 2003 to form the Australian Progressive Alliance.
• Independent – Ruby Hammond, indigenous rights campaigner. Hammond was the first indigenous person to seek election to the federal parliament in South Australia.
• Independent – Jocelyn Aver.

Results

Port Adelaide by-election, 1988

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Rod Sawford	29,773	47.1	-14.2
	Liberal	Judy Fuller	23,818	37.7	+9.1
	Democrats	Meg Lees	4,506	7.1	+1.0
	Independent	Tony Chaplin	2,385	3.8	+3.8
	Independent	Ruby Hammond	1,142	1.8	+1.8
	Independent	Jocelyn Aver	743	1.2	+1.2
	Independent	Michael Brander	438	0.7	+0.7
	Independent	Bruce Deering	412	0.7	+0.7
Total formal votes			63,217	95.7
Informal votes			2,865	4.3
Turnout			66,082	91.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Rod Sawford	34,885	55.2	-11.1
	Liberal	Judy Fuller	28,276	44.8	+11.1
	Labor hold		Swing	-11.1

See also

• List of Australian federal by-elections