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Conelan table and supporters for the election
McCowan table and supporters for the election
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Griffith on 20 May 1939. This was triggered by the death of Labor Party MP Frank Baker.
The election was won by Labor candidate William Conelan by eight votes.
Immediately after Baker's death, there was some speculation that Queensland premier, William Forgan Smith would contest the by-election. [1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | William Conelan | 22,967 | 41.3 | −7.0 | |
| United Australia | Peter McCowan | 17,168 | 30.9 | −10.3 | |
| Protestant Labor | Everett Graham | 15,437 | 27.8 | +27.8 | |
| Total formal votes | 55,572 | 98.2 | |||
| Informal votes | 1,025 | 1.8 | |||
| Turnout | 56,597 | 91.6 | −5.8 | ||
| Two-party-preferred result | |||||
| Labor | William Conelan | 27,790 | 50.0 | −0.3 | |
| United Australia | Peter McCowan | 27,782 | 50.0 | +0.3 | |
| Labor hold | Swing | -0.3 | |||
- ^ "Mr. Baker M.P. - His death mourned". The Canberra Times. 30 March 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
- ^ "By-Elections 1937-1940". Psephos. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008.