Springvale South Ward incumbent Loi Truong looks in the “box seat” to be returned as a Greater Dandenong councillor, according to the latest election count.
So far in the count, the ALP-member was on 2181 votes (35 per cent of the vote) well ahead of his main rivals Thayhorn Yim (1205) and Andy Tran (1062).
Truong is expected to draw strong preferences from Tran as well as other candidates Yen Thai (636), Malab Hem (596) and Lin Sok (561).
Holding the seat since 2008, Truong only won the 2020 election by 90 votes after preferences.
If successful, Truong would help form a likely majority of at least six Labor-affiliated councillors on the 11-member council – Lana Formoso (Noble Park North), Sean O’Reilly (Springvale North), Phillip Danh (Yarraman), Jim Memeti (Dandenong) and Sophie Tan (elected unopposed in Noble Park).
Labor candidates are also in the mix in Springvale Central and Cleeland Ward, which is a neck-and-neck tussle between Greens ex-councillor Rhonda Garad (1756) and ALP incumbent Angela Long (1575).
At Springvale Central, there were just 39 votes splitting Labor member and real estate agent Alice Phuong Le (1486 votes), architect Minh Le (1466) and Labor member and migration agent Meng Bunlay (1447).
Independent incumbent Bob Milkovic (Dandenong North) as well as independent Melinda Yim (Keysborough) and Greens candidate Isabella Do (Keysborough South) are strongly ahead.
Official results are expected to be announced by the Victorian Electoral Commission on 11 November.
