The electorate covers: an area from Warrawong, Unanderra (part) and Farmborough Heights in the south to Helensburgh in the north.
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The main towns include Balgownie, Bellambi, Bulli, Corrimal, Darkes Forest, Fairy Meadow, Farmborough Heights, Helensburgh, Maddens Plains, Mount Keira, Mount Kembla, Otford, Port Kembla, Scarborough, Stanwell Park, Unanderra (part), Warrawong and Wollongong.
Declared candidates:
Benjamin Britton (United Australia Party)
Alison Byrnes (Australian Labor Party)
Alexis Garnaut-Miller (Citizens Party)
Thomas Grogan (One Nation)
Michael Glover (Liberal Democrats)
Dylan Green (Greens)
Marcus Uren (Liberal)
Held by: Labor 13.3%
Sharon Bird (Labor), who has held the seat since 2004, is retiring.
Two candidate preferred 2019 result:
Sharon Bird (Labor): 63,836 votes; 26,995 margin; 63.41% (this election); +0.09% swing
Chris Atlee (Liberal): 36,841 votes; -26,995 margin; 36.59% (this election); -0.09% swing
History: Cunningham had only five MPs from 1949 to 2002. Stephen Martin's premature departure in mid-2002 changed all that. For the first time in 80 years, an opposition party lost a seat at a Commonwealth by-election when Labor lost the seat to Green candidate Michael Organ. The Liberals returned to the race in 2004 and Labor's Sharon Bird ended up winning comfortably.
Name derivation: Named in honour of Allan Cunningham, 1791-1839. Cunningham was a botanist who accompanied many explorations along Australia's east coast and is credited with discovering Pandora's Pass, the Darling Downs and Cunningham's Gap.
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