Legislative Assembly · District of Croydon
David Vanderwolf
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Croydon›
Croydon is a 41.99 km² Legislative Assembly district in Melbourne's outer east, part of the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region. Created in the 2014 redistribution, it has been held by the Liberal Party continuously since then, currently by David Hodgett. At the 2022 election Hodgett retained Croydon on a 51.4%-48.6% two-party-preferred margin over Labor. Hodgett is retiring at the 2026 election; the Liberal Party has preselected Grant Hutchinson to replace him, so none of the candidates is the sitting member.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Tackling the cost of living, protecting local green spaces and boosting funding for education.
His website cites "economic uncertainty and rising cost-of-living pressures", listening first to the community and improving integrity in politics.
Says: "We're frustrated and we want change, but we don't see that as the answer. My community is my party room."
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
Names economic uncertainty and rising cost-of-living pressures as his first concern.
Lists tackling the cost of living as a main goal.
Crime and community safety
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Housing affordability and supply
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
Lists boosting education funding as a main goal.
Health and healthcare access
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Urban planning and housing density
Lists protecting local green spaces as a main goal.
Climate and energy transition
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
Track record & prior candidacies
A roundup of the Croydon field says none of the five candidates has prior electoral experience. RReported — EM-CROYThe Eastern Melburnian, "Victorian Election 2026: Eastern Melbourne Candidates"View source
He is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Croydon results. VVerified — WIKI-CROY-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Croydon (Victoria)"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-29 via search snippets of its independent-candidate and registered-party funding pages), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected. Funding is reimbursed against an audited statement of campaign expenditure, and advance funding must be repaid in full if the threshold is missed.
Vanderwolf has not previously contested an election, so he has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. Independents receive funding only if they reach the 4% first-preference threshold.