Nationals claim victory in Gippsland

Canberra, June 28 (AAP) - The National Party has declared victory in the Gippsland by-election.
Nationals leader Warren Truss declared candidate Darren Chester the winner of the federal Victorian seat just before 8pm (AEST) Saturday, two hours after polls closed.
At last count Mr Chester had 62.2 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, with 65 per cent of overall votes counted.
Labor candidate Darren McCubbin had 37.8 per cent of the vote.
The early result represents a 6.3 per cent swing to the National Party.
Mr Chester, 40, was given a rousing reception at his campaign party at the declaration of the result in Traralgon. "It's an absolute humbling privilege and honour to be chosen to represent the people of Gippsland," he told the cheering crowd.
"It's something that I will never take for granted, it's something that we talked about during the campaign that we will put the locals first at all times, the work begins immediately. We've got a great challenge ahead of us here in Gippsland. The Nationals are the party that can deliver that on behalf of the people of
Gippsland and I'm determined to go forward and represent my community as strongly and as fiercely as possible."
Mr Chester is the fifth consecutive National/Country Party MP to hold Gippsland in 86 years.
The seat has been in party hands since 1922 and has never been won by Labor.
It was vacated by former Howard government minister Peter McGauran who held Gippsland for 25 years.