In six weeks Mallee voters will go to the polls in a hotly anticipated election.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made the trip to Government House to call the election, with a date of May 21, putting the government in caretaker mode and officially beginning the campaign.
At 81,962 square kilometres, Mallee is the largest Division in Victoria, spanning from Maryborough in the south, Cohuna to the east, Edenhope to the west and Mildura to the north.
Questions still abound about how the Mallee election will take shape, with Labor yet to announce its candidate for the seat.
The Mail-Times has compiled a list of all known candidates and compiled a brief background on their political history.
Anne Webster, Nationals
The incumbent Dr Anne Webster will again represent the Nationals in the seat of Mallee.
Originally from Mildura, Dr Webster first came to represent Mallee in the 2019 election after its former member Andrew Broad resigned amid the Hong Kong "sugar baby" scandal.
Dr Webster has a background in social work, founding Zoe Support, a social support organisation helping young mothers access education.
In her time in the lower house of parliament, Dr Webster has had an 86 per cent attendance rate, according to the open-source political monitoring platform They Vote For You.
In March 2021 Dr Webster made headlines after coming forward with her story about workplace harassment in parliament.
Sophie Baldwin, Independent
Former dairy farmer turned regional journalist Sophie Baldwin has announced her candidacy as an independent.
Ms Baldwin comes to the election with experience as an executive of Southern Riverina Irrigators, a lobby group representing 1800 Riverina farming families contributing to the local agricultural industry.
Ms Baldwin has begun campaigning for the seat of Mallee, meeting with communities around the Wimmera to discuss issues such as water management and childcare.
Claudia Haenel, Independent
Claudia Haenel was partway through a term as a councillor with Horsham Rural City Council when she announced her intention to nominate for the federal election as an independent.
Ms Haenel is a third-generation Wimmera resident and has a business and media background.
In January, debate was stirred in council chambers on the legality of Cr Haenel not taking a leave of absence before beginning her campaign for the federal seat.
Cr Haenel has yet to declare a leave of absence from Horsham Council, unlike her United Australia counterpart Swan Hill councillor Stuart King.
Stuart King, United Australia Party
Similar to Ms Haenel, Stuart King comes to the federal election race from the Swan Hill Council, representing the United Australia Party.
Born in Swan Hill, Mr King has a background in farming and small business and has worked with various volunteer organisations such as the CFA.
He has since taken a leave of absence from his position on Swan Hill Council, to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.
Chris Lahy, Citizens' Party
Chris Lahy, 54, from Lake Boga will again run as the Citizens Party candidate for Mallee.
Mr Lahy has a background in dairy farming and is the primary carer for his family of five boys.
He said the party's key policy was the financial future of the Mallee and the country, in the form of the implementation of 'Glass-Steagall' legislation.
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