Jess Wilson on track to be Victoria's youngest premier since 1901
Liberal opposition leader Jess Wilson, 36, is polling ahead of Labor and could be the first woman elected premier.
Jess Wilson could make history as Victoria's opposition leader. The 36-year-old could become the state's youngest premier since 1901 and the first woman elected to the role.
Polls show her coalition leading Labor 52-48 on a two-party basis, with Wilson getting a personal approval rating of plus-8, far ahead of Premier Ben Carroll at minus-14. Elected only in 2022, Wilson has built her profile through direct social media posts about her young son and her love of Collingwood Football Club, alongside messages on crime and corruption.
Her father, Ron Wilson, represented Bennettswood in the Victorian parliament from 1999 to 2003. She studied law and arts at Monash University, worked at KPMG and the Business Council of Australia, and describes herself as a classical Liberal focused on economic growth and smaller government.
- 36
- Wilson's age
- Wilson plus-8, Carroll minus-14
- Personal approval ratings
- Since 1901
- Youngest premier record
Why it mattersIf Wilson wins, she would be the first woman popularly elected as Victoria's premier, a feat neither Labor's Joan Kirner nor Jacinta Allan achieved.
AustraliaA Wilson victory would reshape Victorian government for the first time in 12 years and set a new benchmark for women leading Australian state governments.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
