Independent Airlie Keen confirms second election tilt in Hammond
Exclusive: Murray Bridge’s Deputy Mayor will contest the 2026 state election as an independent candidate.
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Independent candidate Airlie Keen will take a second crack at winning Hammond at the 2026 state election.
Ms Keen told Murray Bridge News on Thursday that she would aim to defeat Liberal MP Adrian Pederick and represent the Murraylands in state Parliament.
She previously stood as an independent at the 2022 election, when she finished third behind Mr Pederick and the Labor candidate.
However, if she had polled only a few hundred extra votes, she would have overtaken Labor on preferences, and the final result might have been much closer.
“We came so close at the last election,” she said.
“The incumbent Liberal had the largest drop in support, on first preferences, of all the regional blue-ribbon seats.
“We made Hammond marginal, and that demonstrates a significant acknowledgement in the community of the benefits of independents.”
Voters only had to look up the hill at Mount Barker to see the benefits of independent representation, she suggested.
In the past three years, under independent MP Dan Cregan, the electorate of Kavel had secured a $400 million hospital, improved bus services and a new freeway interchange.
Hammond had similar needs, but the biggest state government spend here had been a repair job on the old Murray Bridge – a job which had been scheduled anyway.
“It’s an exciting time for our region, as we are on the cusp of significant growth and opportunities,” she said.
“We need an active, hard-working representative who will stand up and fight for the services and infrastructure required to support that growth.”
That included:
- Health facilities
- Housing
- Transport services
- Infrastructure
Her other priorities included education and the health of the River Murray.
A Callington resident, Ms Keen is Mr Cregan’s office manager by day.
She has also been the Deputy Mayor of Murray Bridge for the past year, having been elected onto the council in 2014.
She was previously an international soccer referee who worked matches at the highest level, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and is a member of the Football SA Hall of Honour.
The next state election will be on March 21, 2026.
Mr Pederick, the Liberal MP, has already confirmed that he will seek a sixth term in office.
- More information: www.facebook.com/AirlieKeenIndependent.
