Liberal Bill Tilley positive about holding Benambra after increased vote over Independent Jacqui Hawkins

Ms Hawkins has attracted around 30 per cent of the primary vote in Saturday's election, up from 16 per cent in the last election in 2018.

However, Mr Tilley also secured a higher first preference tally of 43 per cent compared to 39 per cent.

As of Sunday morning, the Victorian Electoral Commission had Mr Tilley with 51.88 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote with Ms Hawkins on 48.12 per cent.

Labor Party candidate Mark Tait saw his primary support drop from 18 to 12 per cent.

While not claiming victory, Mr Tilley was upbeat about the numbers.

"It's looking positive, but the count is not over," he said.

"It's trending upwards which is a positive indication that I may well be successfully returned as the member for Benambra."

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Ms Hawkins told her supporters in a speech on Saturday night that the situation was unsure and on a knife-edge.

She later told The Border Mail it's "too close to call".

"What this does and what it sends is a very clear message to the major parties that our community wants politics done with them and for them and not to them," Ms Hawkins said.

"The primary increased and what that says to me is that there is a real appetite for this style of representation that independents bring, so to see that significant increase is fantastic."

Mr Tilley won four of five Wodonga booths with his only loss at the Birallee site where Ms Hawkins drew 158 votes to the incumbent's 150.

In Euroa, where Nationals incumbent Steph Ryan was retiring, her party's candidate Annabelle Cleeland was set to secure a strong victory over Labor rival Angela Tough on a two-candidate preferred vote - 62.48 per cent to 37.52.

Ms Cleeland had a primary percentage of 34.86, compared to Ms Tough on 29.38 and Liberal candidate Brad Hearn on 20.96.

In Ovens Valley, which includes Wangaratta, Yarrawonga and Myrtleford, incumbent Nationals MP Tim McCurdy had a thumping victory with his primary vote 53.78 per cent.

That was up from 44 per cent in 2018.

Labor candidate Zuvele Leschen netted 20.58 per cent, the Greens Zoe Kromar 8.30 per cent and Liberal Democrat and former Wangaratta councillor Julian Fidge amassed 6.76 per cent.

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