Serena Copley was always up against it in her campaign to win the Kiama by-election for the Liberal Party.

The Libs on the nose with voters nationally after Peter Dutton’s resounding defeat to Anthony Albanese in May, NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman battling to stay in the role after being consistently outshone by Premier Chris Minns, and the Gareth Ward factor was always going to count against them following his conviction on sexual assault offences.

Copley knew she was facing an uphill battle when she entered the by-election race early last month but was undeterred by the challenge and proud of the way she fought against the odds.

The former Shoalhaven City Councillor attracted a tick over a quarter of the primary vote but trailed victorious Labor candidate Katelin McInerney 60-40% on a two party preferred basis.

She is on track to more than double the primary vote that Melanie Gibbons received for the Libs at the 2023 election when Ward narrowly edged out McInerney.

“I was extraordinarily proud of our campaign and the effort we put in,” Copley said.

“I've never been afraid of hard work and working hard for our community has always been something that's driven me.

“We were overwhelmingly outnumbered with resources that the government threw at the by-election but our volunteers were outstanding and put in a wonderful effort.

“It's interesting to see that with all of the resources that Labor threw at the by-election, they received less than half a per cent extra in their primary vote for all of that swarm of red across the electorate.”

Copley said she highlighted issues that Labor will need to deliver on in the next year and a half.

“The promises that they've now rolled out on a couple of occasions, we absolutely need to see those things delivered like Tripoli Way and Calderwood Public School should be well on the way to being finished by the next election,” she added.

“I'll be watching eagerly to also see what new projects the Labor government are initiating when they finish off the Liberal-funded and planned projects that they're currently working on and claiming.”

Copley said she could not say whether she will nominate again because the Liberal Party will go through its process before deciding who will be its candidate in the March 2027 state election.

“I love defending and working hard for my community and I've never stopped feeling that way so I look forward to the future and being involved in my community and working hard for it again in the future.

“I'm not going anywhere. I've lived here for 34 years and I'll just carry on doing the things that I've done in the past and helping out and volunteering where I can and advocating hard for this community that I love.”