Tech executive, lawyer and former political staffer Gisele Kapterian has defeated Nynggai Warren Mundine in the race to be preselected for the blue-ribbon Sydney seat of Bradfield.
This marks a major win for the New South Wales Liberal Party’s moderate faction, as the party looks to stave off the threat of teal candidate Nicolette Boele, who is contesting the seat for a second time.
The seat– which is being vacated by retiring former minister Paul Fletcher– is seen as a critical junction in deciding the party’s ideological direction.
A prominent anti-Voice campaigner, Mundine had been heavily backed by former prime minister Tony Abbott.
Nevertheless, Kapterian, who had the support of party moderates, won a majority in the first round of voting, gaining just over 200 votes to Mundine’s 170 votes. Another candidate, cardiologist Michael Feneley received only 16 votes.
In a statement, Mundine congratulated Kapterian on her win, saying “let’s win the seat”.
Kapterian said in a statement: “Only the Liberals are focused on key issues like housing, supporting small businesses and fighting inflation, that will make lives easier for people across our community– and only by electing the Liberal candidate we’ll be able to put an end to the Albanese Labor government’s economic vandalism”.
Following Kapterian’s preselection win, Boele congratulated Kapterian, saying she looks forward to the campaign, as the teals are confident in winning the seat.
“We have a fight on our hands,” said Boele, adding that the contest in Bradfield “could be the most consequential contest in the country”.
“I strongly believe this election is a turning point– for our climate, economy, and country. A minority government will give us a real chance to deliver vital reforms.”
Boele also noted the the seat of Bradfield has been held by one political party for 75 years, and said that “the decisions made by both major parties over decades have created rising bills, a housing crisis, and a supermarket shop that’s become far too expensive”.
“If elected, I’ll draw on my experience in finance, clean energy and government, and will advocate for common-sense reforms to address the problems the major parties have created”.
Bradfield covers a wealthy area of Sydney’s north shore, including St Ives and Chatswood. The region heavily backed the Albanese government’s Voice to Parliament referendum.
The preselection race had been a test of the influence of the right-wind establishment within local Liberal branches in blue-ribbon party territory. The Bradfield seat is crucial to Peter Dutton’s chances of winning the election due by May.
Kapterian is a Salesforce executive, former political staffer to Julie Bishop and was earlier preselected in the soon-to-be abolished seat of North Sydney in 2023.
Opposition deputy leader Sussan Ley had supported Kapterian, saying she represented the “future of Bradfield”, as the Liberals look to fight off a growing independent vote.
“Gisele is an extraordinarily talented woman. She has experience across key economic and national security portfolios,” Ley said.
“She’s an outstanding example of Australia’s multicultural success story.”
Considered a parliamentary candidate, Kapterian had been supported by many other big names, including former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and previous treasurer Joe Hockey.
Boele is expected to receive funding for this election from Climate 200, a key supporter of the Teal party. At the 2022 federal election, Boele won 20 per cent of the primary vote, cutting Fletcher’s margin to 4.5 per cent, as the Bradfield seat went to preferences for the first time in its history.