Legislative Assembly · District of Lowan
Lee Ann Elms
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Lowan›
Lowan is the state's largest electorate by area (about 41,858 square kilometres) in Victoria's west, covering Horsham, Hamilton, Casterton, Dimboola, Nhill, Kaniva, Coleraine, Dartmoor, Jeparit and Rainbow, with 51,182 registered electors at the 2022 election. It is one of the safest Nationals-held seats in the state: sitting MP Emma Kealy won 59.0% of first preferences and 71.6% two-party-preferred against Labor in 2022. As of late September 2026 The Tally Room lists only Kealy and Family First's Lee Ann Elms, while the Greens' Jeff Moran has a party candidate page. A former Horsham councillor, Claudia Haenel, was reported in July 2026 as likely to be Labor's candidate but was not confirmed, and no Liberal candidate has been identified.
Background
Her Family First bio says she works as an educator with a degree from Edith Cowan University (2017). SSelf-stated — FF-ELMES-WANNON-BIOFamily First Party Australia, "Lee-Ann Elmes bio page (labelled Wannon; apparently a carried-over federal-campaign profile)"View source
Her Family First bio is the page labelled for the federal seat of Wannon (2025) and the 2026 Lowan profile page did not load, so this material may be carried over from the earlier campaign.
Says she has been a youth leader for more than four years, mentoring adolescents in leadership and personal development, with a focus on youth mental health. SSelf-stated — FF-ELMES-WANNON-BIOFamily First Party Australia, "Lee-Ann Elmes bio page (labelled Wannon; apparently a carried-over federal-campaign profile)"View source
Has been championing a youth centre for Hamilton and applied for a $630,000 federal grant for it, per 2025 coverage. RReported — STANDARD-ELMES-WANNONThe Standard (Warrnambool), "Hamilton's Lee-Ann Elmes to run for Wannon in federal election" (13 Apr 2025)View source
Is from Hamilton. RReported — STANDARD-ELMES-WANNONThe Standard (Warrnambool), "Hamilton's Lee-Ann Elmes to run for Wannon in federal election" (13 Apr 2025)View source
Says she has been married for 19 years and has two children. SSelf-stated — FF-ELMES-WANNON-BIOFamily First Party Australia, "Lee-Ann Elmes bio page (labelled Wannon; apparently a carried-over federal-campaign profile)"View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Youth empowerment (education, employment and leadership pathways), mental health advocacy and community strengthening in regional areas.
In 2025 she named youth and children's services, road safety and economic relief for families under cost-of-living pressure as priorities.
Her Family First bio is the page labelled for the federal seat of Wannon (2025) and the 2026 Lowan profile page did not load, so this material may be carried over from the earlier campaign.
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
Named economic relief for families facing cost-of-living pressure as a priority in 2025.
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
Named road safety as a priority in 2025.
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
Works as an educator and names youth empowerment through education, employment and leadership pathways as a priority.
Health and healthcare access
Names fast-tracking accessible mental health support for young people as a priority.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Wants social connection and resilience in regional communities and is championing a youth centre for Hamilton.
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
She stood unsuccessfully for Southern Grampians Shire Council in the late 2024 local elections. RReported — STANDARD-ELMES-WANNONThe Standard (Warrnambool), "Hamilton's Lee-Ann Elmes to run for Wannon in federal election" (13 Apr 2025)View source
She was Family First's candidate for the federal seat of Wannon at the May 2025 election (as Lee-Ann Elmes). RReported — STANDARD-ELMES-WANNON, FF-ELMES-WANNON-BIOThe Standard (Warrnambool), "Hamilton's Lee-Ann Elmes to run for Wannon in federal election" (13 Apr 2025)View sourceFamily First Party Australia, "Lee-Ann Elmes bio page (labelled Wannon; apparently a carried-over federal-campaign profile)"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Lowan results; Family First's 2022 candidate was Robert Coleman (3.6%). VVerified — WIKI-LOWAN-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Lowan"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.
Elms has not previously contested a state election. Family First's 2022 Lowan candidate polled 3.6%, below the 4% mark.