The Liberals stared down One Nation in Nepean – but they shouldn’t be popping champagne just yet

The Liberal leader, Jess Wilson, was a constant presence throughout the byelection campaign – on corflutes, flyers and on pre-poll, where she spent hours handing out how-to-vote cards most days during the two weeks of early voting. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

You’d be forgiven for thinking Jess Wilson had just won the Victorian election, judging by the Liberal party’s reaction to its byelection victory in Nepean on Saturday night.

At the Verve Bar at Rye Hotel, Wilson initially walked in ahead of the party’s candidate, Anthony Marsh, before pausing and doubling back so they could enter together to raucous applause.