The Stafford by-election has come and gone, and the Animal Justice Party Queensland is incredibly proud of what our candidate Lucy O'Brien, our volunteers and supporters achieved together.

For the first time, the Animal Justice Party contested the Stafford electorate, introducing our message of compassion, justice and stronger representation for animals, people and the environment to a community where we were largely unknown.

Despite this, Lucy received 680 primary votes out of 33,792 votes cast, a fantastic first result for the AJP in Stafford. We also received 113 primary votes through postal voting, with much of this support generated through social media. This demonstrates just how important it is to share our message and encourage others to support animal justice.

Lucy was born and raised in the Stafford electorate, with her family having lived in the area for more than 60 years. Her parents have called Grange home for 40 years, and Lucy has a deep connection to the community that shaped her.

As a Kindergarten Director and Teacher working in the community not-for-profit sector, Lucy is passionate about education, children and strong communities. Outside of work, she volunteers and fundraises for animal sanctuaries, supports animal and environmental campaigns and advocates for stronger protections for animals.

Lucy said she was running because she cares deeply about her community and wanted to stand up for those without a vote.

The campaign was also an important milestone for the Queensland branch, being our first election campaign with our new committee and many new volunteers. Despite the short timeframe of a by-election, 46 wonderful volunteers stepped forward to help.

AJP Queensland would like to extend a huge thank you to every one of them. Whether handing out how-to-vote cards, talking with voters, helping behind the scenes or sharing our message online, every minute of your time made a difference.

Queensland Convenor Liela D'Rose said the Stafford campaign demonstrated the strength of the AJP's growing volunteer network and the importance of continuing to build our presence in local communities.

“Every election gives us an opportunity to introduce more people to the Animal Justice Party and show that there is a political alternative that puts animals, people and our planet on the agenda.”

With approximately 20% of the Stafford electorate not voting, there are many more people to reach next time.

The Stafford result is only the beginning. Every vote, every conversation, every social media share and every volunteer hour helps build a stronger political voice for animals. Animals can't speak and animals can't vote, but we can do that for them.

The next few years will be busy, with Federal, Queensland State and local government elections all on the horizon in 2028. We will need passionate volunteers and supporters to help us continue growing the movement.