Labor’s Peter Khalil has held the North-West Melbourne seat since 2016, which has been under safe Labor control since 1972.

Now, the Labor dominance in Wills looks to be less certain.

The Greens have made consistent gains in the seat since 2001. Brunswick, the younger trendier inner-city suburb filled with pubs and bars, serves as the base for the Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam. Labor’s presence remains more pronounced in the northern working class suburbs.

There are a few other factors to keep in mind: 

> Liberal preferences hurt the Greens in 2022 and kept Labor in control of the seat.

> A recent redistribution could be set to help the Greens, bringing in wealthier parts Fitzroy North and Princes Hill into the electorate, while carving off sections of the more working class Glenroy and Oak Park.

> Samantha Ratnam is a seasoned state politician fighting hard to get into federal parliament.

Wills is a target seat for ADVANCE and we have been hammering it with anti-Greens digital advertising.

Definitely one to watch when the results come in.