Chris Minns is projected to become the 47th Premier of NSW, with the Labor party winning its first state election in 16 years.
Their last victory was in 2007, under former premier Morris Iemma.
Sky News called a Labor win just two hours after counting began at 8.04pm.
“Chris Minns will be the next Premier of NSW,” Sky News Analyst Tom Connell said at 8.04pm.
It now remains to be seen whether Labor will be able to pick up enough seats for a majority government. To govern outright, they will need to win a total of 47 seats.
Chris Minns will become the next Premier of NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift
Labor Deputy Leader Prue Carr said the party’s policies “struck a chord” with the people of NSW.
“The campaign, thus far, is showing that we really were listening to people, and talking about the bread-and-butter issues that people are concerned about,” she told the ABC.
Chris Minns voted with his wife Anna Minns at Carlton South Public School in his marginal seat of Kogarah. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Swift
The final election Newspoll had predicted a win for the Opposition, with Labor winning a two-party-preferred result of 54.5-45.5 per cent. It was also the first Newspoll of the campaign trail which put Mr Minns ahead of Mr Perrottet as the preferred premier.
Labor’s win means the coalition now have no representation on Australia’s mainland, with Tasmania the only state with a coalition government under Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
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Throughout the election trail, Labor ran under the slogan promising the state a “fresh start,” after 12 years of a coalition government.
Some of the key campaign promises included scrapping the public service wages cap, ending privatisation, and fortifying the state’s hospital and schools.