FORMER Labor minister and member for Monaro Steve Whan has widened his lead in the latest count (2.59pm) from the NSW Electoral Commission on Monday afternoon.

He has 14,642 first-preference votes (40.4 per cent) compared to the 13,735 votes (37.89 per cent) for sitting Nationals member Nichole Overall from the NSW election on Saturday night.

The Nationals haven’t given up on Monaro. On Sunday, federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said he was still hopeful sitting member Nichole Overall would retain the seat.

He said, with barely half the votes counted in the seat, that the pending pre-poll numbers would favour Overall.

However, of the only pre-poll centre reported so far today (Queanbeyan) and with the count continuing, NSWEC has Whan at 2781 votes to Overall’s 2539.

Whan stepped into the election with only five weeks to go after former Raiders captain Terry Campese pulled out of the Labor spot in a media storm over a revealing party video.

If elected, Whan, a former NSW minister, would bring experience to an incoming Labor government after 12 years in opposition.

Overall won the seat a year ago after the mercurial NSW Nationals Leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro suddenly resigned. Barilaro had an 11 per cent advantage at the last election in 2019.

Whan was elected as the member for Monaro at the 2003 state election.

At the 2011 state election, he was defeated by Barilaro. Less than three months later, Whan was appointed to the Legislative Council to fill a casual vacancy. In 2014 he was preselected as the Labor candidate for Monaro at the 2015 state election, but lost again to Barilaro.

He stepped into the election in February with only a matter of weeks to go after former Raiders captain Terry Campese pulled out on the Labor spot in a media storm over a party video.

Whan will bring experience to an incoming Labor government after 12 years in opposition.

Overall won the seat a year ago after the mercurial NSW Nationals Leader John Barilaro suddenly resigned.

Whan was elected as the member for Monaro at the 2003 state election.

At the 2011 state election, he was defeated by Barilaro. Less than three months later, Whan was appointed to the Legislative Council to fill a casual vacancy. In 2014 he was preselected as the Labor candidate for Monaro at the 2015 state election, but lost again to Barilaro.