Ashleigh Vandenberg Re-Elected Community Wins!

In a decisive win, Ashleigh Vandenberg has clinched the Jackwood Ward seat in the City of Melton election, marking a significant achievement as she garnered a clear lead with 4,399 votes. Her nearest rival, Goran Kesic, received 2,757 votes, establishing Vandenberg’s victory as a strong affirmation of community support and trust in her leadership.

Final Vote Count

Vandenberg’s resounding lead in the primary vote count underscored the success of her community-focused campaign. Here’s how the final numbers stacked up for the top candidates:

Ashleigh Vandenberg: 4,399 votes
Goran Kesic: 2,757 votes
Melanie Jones: 1,507 votes
Mandip Singh: 802 votes
Jasmeet Pannu: 688 votes
Lokesh Makkar: 477 votes
Satinder Singh: 419 votes
Walia Harpreet Singh: 331 votes
With a lead of 1,642 votes over Kesic, Vandenberg’s win reflects a strong mandate from Jackwood Ward voters, validating her commitment to addressing the community’s most pressing issues.

Why Vandenberg Won

There are a lot of similarities with the U.S election and why Donald Trump won which can be seen across western democracies. At it's core voters are fed up with the woke cultural wars, not withstanding that they don't care about their fellow community members but the past decade western democracies have pushed bread and butter issues to the back while they pursue feel good words with no actions.

"Woke" is a terminology that no longer adheres solely to the left and is also applied equally to the right as it campaigns against progressive and inclusive measures at it's core no one gives a crap about the colour of your skin, religion, beliefs or gender. While issues are prevalent in some communities the overall majority of people are not out to get you.

Ash is a first nation's woman who's family were impacted under colonisation but the community overwhelmingly supported her proving that focusing on core issues in the community that delivers for all is what matters most.

Go Woke, Go Broke

Vandenberg’s victory can be attributed to her targeted focus on hyper local issues that resonate with Jackwood Ward residents. Her platform, built on priorities like expanding CCTV to tackle illegal rubbish dumping, introducing a youth outreach bus and implementing a local solutions, struck a chord with voters who prioritize practical, neighbourhood focused solutions. Additionally, her tireless door-to-door campaigning demonstrated her commitment to directly engaging with residents, further strengthening her connection to the community.

Her lead in the primary vote count shows that Vandenberg’s message resonated across a broad demographic. By actively seeking feedback and advocating for tangible solutions, she successfully established herself as a candidate deeply invested in the day to day needs of Jackwood Ward.

Whereas her opposition Goran Kesic decided to go down the route of woke attacks attempting to divide the electorate on race, gender and sexual orientation a topic voters have grown tired of and are turning their backs on both the left and right who go down that path.

Someone's gender or sexual preferences don't put food on the table and cover the bills thus an automatic loss in an election which is what we have seen from the U.S election with Kamala.

Goran just couldn't close the gap

Goran Kesic, finishing with 2,757 votes, ran a strong campaign and while Kesic’s message gained traction with many voters, the local nature of Vandenberg’s platform may have given her an edge, as residents prioritized direct solutions to immediate neighborhood issues and not Woke battles.

Kesic’s campaign attracted significant support and his 2,757 votes represent a solid base. However, he was unable to close the gap with Vandenberg as preferences flowed more toward her community driven agenda, which resonated with a majority of voters in the ward.

The flow of preferences from other candidates solidified Vandenberg’s path to victory. Melanie Jones, who received 1,507 votes and other candidates like Mandip Singh (802 votes) and Jasmeet Pannu (688 votes) contributed preference votes that favoured Vandenberg’s hands on approach to community leadership. Her extensive outreach and well defined plan for tackling local issues, from public safety to youth engagement, helped consolidate support as votes were redistributed.

Vandenberg’s clear lead highlights her ability to unite voters around shared community priorities and her commitment to seeing those priorities addressed in practical ways.

With some returning councillors an some new people joining the City of Melton and with Goran gone, the future is bright for all who reside within the City of Melton

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