Mid Murray Mayor Simone Bailey will run for Labor at 2026 election

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A high-profile Murraylands leader will run as a Labor candidate at the 2026 state election.

The Labor Party announced on Thursday that Mid Murray Mayor Simone Bailey would be its candidate for Hammond.

The traditionally safe Liberal seat – which includes Murray Bridge, Mannum and Strathalbyn – has been held by MP Adrian Pederick for the past 19 years.

Ms Bailey will aim to change that.

“The Labor Party is a party that listens and invests, but I feel our region is missing a strong Labor voice,” she said.

“Our region … deserves a genuine contest and a representative who will never stop standing up for them.”

She first approached Labor about becoming a member and running for election only a matter of weeks ago.

But her attraction to the party went back to 2022, she said, when she was elected as mayor and immediately faced the once-in-a-lifetime challenge posed by the River Murray floods.

“Working hand-in-hand with the premier and (state) government ministers, I saw how closely my values aligned with Labor values,” she said.

“Through my time as mayor, I have seen Labor step up again and again: by declaring a major emergency before the flood peak, funding both flood preparation and recovery, and helping my council keep standpipes open so my community can access water.”

Labor governments were capable of working with regional communities, she said.

She hoped she could be a voice for those communities inside the party, too.

“I’ve seen what stronger advocacy can do at that level, and how decisions are made in Adelaide,” she said.

“Our voices aren’t being heard in Hammond.”

Asked what issues she would campaign on, she named:

• Regional equity: ensuring every South Australian had access to quality health care, education, public transport and housing
• Local government sustainability: making sure councils were properly funded by higher levels of government, to reduce their reliance on ratepayers
• Planning for growth
• Roads, agriculture, small business, mental health and youth opportunities: “all those things that are the backbone of regional towns”

In contrast to previous, low-profile campaigns, Ms Bailey’s candidacy was announced by Premier Peter Malinauskas.

He praised the leadership abilities she had shown during the 2022-23 River Murray flood, only weeks after her election as mayor.

“I saw first-hand (that) she was focused, determined and completely committed to helping those she represents,” he said.

“Simone knows what it takes to bring people together and get things done – qualities that will make her a strong voice for Hammond in the state parliament.

“I’m thrilled Simone has decided to put hand up to represent her community in my team.”

Candidate would be her family’s second Labor MP

Ms Bailey, from Mannum, is an accountant by trade and a mother of three.

Prior to her election as mayor, she spent several years as the executive officer at Aminya, Mannum’s residential aged care facility; and had also worked in the state public service.

Since August, she has been participating in the University of Adelaide’s Pathways to Politics program, which aims to increase the number of women in Australian parliaments.

The course trains participants in campaigning, public speaking, policy, ethics and more.

It had also cemented in her mind the idea that running at a state level was the right decision, she said.

While she is a relative newcomer to the political arena, she does have a strong example to look up to within her own family.

The last Labor MP to represent the Murraylands, the late Gabe Bywaters, was a cousin of her grandfather.

Like her, he was elected during a time of flood – in his case, 1956.

He went on to serve four terms in state parliament, including a period as South Australia’s Agriculture Minister.

His loss at the 1968 election – by just 41 votes – left Labor one seat short of a majority and led to the downfall of Don Dunstan’s first government.

“He stood for fairness and opportunity in the regions, values I stand for,” Ms Bailey said.

“Many of the issues he fought for then, like access to services and housing, are still challenges we face nearly 60 years later.”

Liberals will face a real challenge in 2026

Next year’s election now looms as the biggest challenge of Mr Pederick’s political career.

He will face two fairly well-known candidates in Ms Bailey and independent Airlie Keen, the Deputy Mayor of Murray Bridge; and will do so with a margin that was whittled down to just 5.1 per cent at the last election.

In previous years, Labor has run low-profile campaigns in Hammond.

Its candidates have typically been named only a few weeks before the election; some have failed even to respond to media questions or attend public forums.

But this time around, the Premier himself made the announcement, and five months out.

Did that signal that Labor believed the seat might actually be up for grabs?

Ms Bailey paused for a moment.

“I think it’s going to be hard work,” she said.

“But Labor, over the past few years, has certainly grown into wanting to know more about the regions.

“Getting a stronger candidate and working hard for our regions is something I think they really believe in.”

What does this mean for the Mid Murray Council?

Under South Australian law, Ms Bailey will have to take a leave of absence from her mayoral role from March 2, 2026 – the date when nominations close – until March 21, election day.

If she were elected to state parliament, another councillor would fill in as mayor from then until the next council election, due in November 2026.

No local by-election would be required.

Between now and then, she said, it would more or less be business as usual at her day job.

“My focus, as Mayor, remains on serving the Mid Murray community,” she said.

“I’ve always taken that responsibility seriously.

“Until I go on unpaid leave next March, my focus will be on delivering for my community – I’ll have a clear gap (between my responsibilities).”

Plenty of mayors had run for office at a higher level before, she pointed out, including Onkaparinga’s Erin Thompson and Glenelg’s Amanda Wilson.

Of course, she will have to maintain relationships with state and federal MPs who are members of the Liberal Party; and a Deputy Mayor of Murray Bridge who will soon be an election rival.

Did she anticipate that creating any difficulties?

“I’m a professional, and I believe our members of parliament are professionals as well,” she said.

“I’ve let them know how I feel … but not all politics is about fights.

“If I drank beer, I’d happily drink a beer with Adrian.

“It’s not about us, it’s about our community.”