The low-profile campaign of Cunningham Liberal candidate Marcus Uren has concerned the party's Wollongong councillor John Dorahy.
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Mr Uren's candidacy was only announced at the ballot draw in late April, just one month before election day.
Since then there has hardly been any Liberal presence in the electorate - no posters, no corflutes, no how to votes and no election commitments.
The lack of presence extends to western Sydney resident Mr Uren himself, though the party claimed he has been down here on weekends to door knock.
Cr Dorahy said both himself and fellow Liberal councillor Cameron Walters had been approached to run in Cunningham before the party ended up with Mr Uren.
He said he understood the lack of signage in the weeks leading up to election day was due to Mr Uren's late nomination.
"Being a late start, it was probably difficult to put out the level of signage that the others have," Cr Dorahy said.
"The other parties were already revving up for it all. I don't blame them [the party] for that particular side of it."
He did have concerns about the lack of any presence at polling booths.
"The more difficult one is there hasn't been the level of interest in assisting the Liberal Party in handing out how to votes," he said.
"I've had a number of emails and phone calls from people staying how disappointed they were at not seeing someone at the pre-poll booths or the polling booths today."
Cr Dorahy - who almost stole the state seat of Keira from Labor in 2011 with an 18 per cent swing to him - maintains his belief that the region needed to become a swinging seat.
"I've said it all along that we need to make Wollongong marginal," he said.
"Until such time as we achieve a marginal vote Wollongong is going to struggle for funding and grants. I cast doubt over anyone - I don't care whether they're state or federal - to bring the government grants and funding that we really require in infrastructure and other activities that are required for the third largest city in NSW."
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