Ged Kearney Wins Batman

Labor Celebration – Ged Kearney and Bill Shorten at the Thornbury Theatre

Labor party faithful are waiting to celebrate with Ged Kearney, after she won the Batman by-election following a battle with the Greens over the federal seat.

Labor has claimed victory in the federal Melbourne seat of Batman after a tightly contested by-election battle with the Greens.

Former ACTU leader Ged Kearney emerged the winner on Saturday with 42 per cent of the primary vote, 52 per cent on a two-party basis, trumping the Greens candidate Alex Bhathal who has now lost the seat six times.

Ms Kearney, is yet to attend the Labor by-election party to make her victory speech, but Greens leader Richard Di Natale has conceded defeat.

The mood was electric at the Labor camp in Thornbury, with supporters wearing red chanting 'Ged, Ged' and 'solidarity forever' as results poured in, though the count remained neck-in-neck for some time.

Federal Labor MP Maria Vamvakinou was confident the party would retain the long-held seat, left vacant by Labor's David Feeney after he resigned amidst the citizenship saga.

She said that was largely due to Ms Kearney's work history, as a nurse and unionist, and warm character.

"I think all that made a big difference in terms of engaging people locally and perhaps getting them to refocus on Labor and a Labor agenda," the Member for Calwell told AAP.