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GREG Aplin has equalled the number of election triumphs of his predecessor Ian Glachan in retaining the seat of Albury for a fourth time on Saturday.
Mr Aplin took over from the late Mr Glachan in 2003 and, in his latest battle, held off first-time Labor candidate Ross Jackson to retain the seat for the Liberal Party.
He will again be part of a Mike Baird-led Coalition government which will deliver an upgraded Riverina Highway and hospital upgrades in Holbrook, Culcairn and Tumbarumba over the next four years.
Mr Aplin, 62, said he was committed to running the full term to see the big-ticket projects announced during the campaign come to fruition.
But his latest election victory didn’t come without a hit, based on initial figures available.
On a two-party preferred basis with 58 per cent votes of counted to date, Mr Aplin’s previous margin of 27.1 per cent will take a major blow.
The swing to Labor is running at 13.4 per cent with a clear rebound from the disastrous 2011 election result at state and local levels for the party.
Mr Aplin has 63.7 per cent of the two-party preferred votes compared to Mr Jackson’s 36.3 per cent.
Four years ago, Mr Aplin had a swing of 7.9 per cent to him as the Coalition ended 16 years of Labor rule in NSW.
Mr Aplin said yesterday he expected the final swing to be less than the early figure based on an anticipated strong pre-poll result.
“We were expecting some change across the state and that would always be reflected in parts of Albury,” he said.
“Whatever else happens in the state tends to get reflected here.
“We are part of the state afterall, but sometimes you might not think so.”
He said his goal was to deliver on the promises made during the campaign and fight hard for a slice of the $6 billion headed to regional areas from the lease of electricity assets.
“It’s my intention to see all those projects we spoke about in the campaign realised,” he said.
“Some of them are budgeted, others were dependent on the re-election of the government and clearly they will be delivered.
“It is time to see them through and create the associated jobs, but work on attracting some of the money that will hopefully flow from the plan outlined in the course of the election.”
Asked whether he would run the full term, Mr Aplin said: “Why not?
“It is obviously what you are elected to do.”
Mr Aplin has won all booths counted to date on preferences, but Labor made up ground from the hammering in 2011.
Some of the closest results were recorded at Albury Masonic Centre (421-451), Albury PCYC (347-464) and Lavington East (724-824) in favour of Mr Aplin.
Thurgoona, one of the biggest booths in the electorate, also went Mr Aplin’s way 1559-1003.
The three minor party candidates, as expected, were not a factor in the election result. Greens’ contender Niloufer King was the best performed with 1652 primary votes.