Liberal Farrer candidate Raissa Butkowski says she would ‘absolutely’ run again in 2028
Farrer’s Liberal candidate Raissa Butkowski says she will run again for the regional NSW seat as the party faces a tough challenge in terms of the number of voters it has held for more than 25 years.
When votes are counted on Saturday, early polls point to a two-way race in Farrer between One Nation candidate David Farley and Climate 200-backed independent Michelle Milthorpe.
These predictions mark a major departure from the 2025 election, when long-serving MP and onetime opposition leader Sussan Ley retains the seat with more than 40 percent of the primary vote.
Lawyer and Albury Council councilor Ms Butkowski told NewsWire Ms Ley left behind “very big shoes to fill” but promised to be “a bit different to Susan”.
Ms Butkowski said of the former Liberal leader: “Twenty-five years of leadership service as a woman in this country is a really big step, and she did it with such grace.”
“I think I’m a little younger and as a different individual I’ll do some things differently.”
Ms Butkowski said it was “really important” that people “don’t think voters are going to stop at Albury”, the region’s largest borough and home to Albury City Council.
He said his “style of advocacy” will also be different, coming from a background of working in family and domestic violence law, including working with victim-survivors.
But Ms. Butkowski is up against a resurgent One Nation.
The Liberals and the National Party preferred Mr Farley to Ms Milthorpe despite him eating into One Nation’s vote share in the last South Australian state election.
Ms Butkowski said it was “really important to acknowledge that people are frustrated” but only a Liberal victory could give Farrer a say in Canberra, including in the future Coalition government.
“I’ve really focused on my own campaign, going through the electorate and making the case that the Liberal Party is actually the best hope for this country,” Ms. Butkowski said.
“The reality is that if you’re not part of a team that can form government, then your influence will be limited and I think a lot of times those candidates (independents, minor parties) become little more than a grievance desk in Canberra.
“They can voice their concerns, but they don’t have the ability or capacity to shape decisions because they’re not in the rooms where decisions are made.”
Ms Butkowski acknowledged the possibility of a protest vote in favor of One Nation against the Liberal Party, saying some had expressed frustration with the party’s “turbulent” recent history.
He warned of the potential for “some level of misinformation” ahead of the vote, noting that the party had only run an eight-week campaign.
One of the most important issues in this campaign was water.
Ms Milthorpe and Mr Farley have called for a royal commission into the management of water in the Murray-Darling Basin, while the Liberals and Nationals are calling for a commission of inquiry instead, which they say would be faster.
“There’s a lot that needs to be fixed with water, and people in the areas are angry,” he said.
Ms Butkowski said it was “worrying” that Ms Milthorpe was backed by independent Canberra senator David Pocock, who “fully supports unlimited water buybacks”.
“There are a lot of people, especially in the rest of the Farrer electorate, who have serious concerns that this position will completely destroy our farming and irrigation communities in the next two years,” he said.
Facing an uphill battle, Ms Butkowski said she would “absolutely” run again in 2028 when voters return to the polls for the next federal election.
“But obviously we’re still working hard. We’re working hard to earn every vote.” he said.
“I think there’s still a lot of goodwill for the Liberal Party in the regions. “I would never write myself off at this point.
“I think we have an absolute chance to win this.”
