"I'm in a bit of shock," Janelle Saffin said, as she was emphatically returned to the seat of Lismore on March 25.
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Ms Saffin won the 2019 election by just two per cent but looks to increase that margin significantly this year.
Lismore was one of the first seats called by election watchers, and was an indicator of the massive swing to the Labor Party that was to follow, making Chris Minns the incoming NSW Premier.
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Nationals candidate Alex Rubin came in second place with 26 per cent of the vote.
But he did much better in Tenterfield, where he received 418 votes at the Memorial Hall booth, ahead of Ms Saffin on 303.
Shooters, Farmers & Fishers candidate Matthew Bertalli received 117 votes in Tenterfield, while the Greens' Adam guise got 62.
Local independent Allen Croswaithe received 23 votes at Memorial Hall.
Ms Saffin thanked her community, who had "been through so many major disasters" during her term, from fires to floods, COVID and a mice plague.
"I'm very privileged and honoured to be with my community now and the fact that they want me to stay around for the next four years," Ms Saffin said.
"I will continue to do what I did over the last period - put forward our needs, and there are many.
"The next big thing is a complete wrap around, (an) economic and environmental package around us to make sure we recover in the best way we can, rebuild the best way we can, and I'm looking forward to some stimulus in terms of our local economy.
"We've got environmental repair, but without rebuilding our economy, that makes it difficult for us."
There may be some big and varied challenges ahead for Ms Saffin - "as someone said to me tonight, 'Janelle, I trust you to fix the potholes, and climate change'."
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