Bridgend has elected Labour's Sarah Murphy as its new Member of the Senedd.
Ms Murphy achieved 12,388 (42%) of the votes - down 3% on Labour's result in 2016.
The Conservatives achieved 8,324 votes and increased their share by almost 4%, with more than 30% of the vote.
Plaid Cymru, in third, achieved 3,091 votes - 10.5% of the total share.
Sarah Murphy, new Labour MS in Bridgend, was emotional and over the moon to win.
“Having just come off the stage now, it’s surreal, I can’t quite put it into words," she said.
“I can’t believe how many people turned out to vote. I’m going to be the best member of the Senedd for Bridgend that I can possibly be.”
Former First Minister Carwyn Jones has not stood for election again so the constituency will get a new MS. He was elected in 2016 with a 20.9% majority.
In the snap general election in December 2019 the Conservatives caused an upset with Jamie Wallis ousting Madeleine Moon as MP.
The constituency election results are expected on Friday, with the regional results to follow later in the day, or potentially on Saturday depending on how counts across the region go.
The full result in Bridgend
- Sarah Murphy (Lab) 12,388 (42.05%, -3.26%)
- Rachel Nugent-Finn (C) 8,324 (28.25%, +3.89%)
- Leanne Lewis (PC) 3,091 (10.49%, +0.92%)
- Steven Bletsoe (Ind) 3,046 (10.34%)
- Caroline Jones (Ind) 1,064 (3.61%)
- Harvey Jones (LD) 782 (2.65%, -1.39%)
- Christine Roach (Reform) 534 (1.81%)
- Geraint Jones (Gwlad) 232 (0.79%)
- Lab maj 4,064 (13.79%)
- 3.57% swing Lab to C
- Electorate 65,874; Turnout 29,461 (44.72%, +0.12%)
Sarah Murphy - Labour
I live in Bridgend Town with my partner, Alex, and have strong family roots here.
My grandfather and uncles worked at the steelworks in Port Talbot, and my great-great-uncle Jimmy is remembered on the cenotaph in Bridgend Town Centre. My dad, Jim, was a teacher who went to Archbishop McGrath Secondary School and my mam, is a social worker from the Rhondda Valleys.
I founded the Bridgend Coronavirus Support Group in March 2020, to coordinate volunteers, provide accurate information about the pandemic and so that we could be there for one another when times have been confusing, stressful and lonely.
I work as a university data researcher, where I fight for our personal data to be used ethically, responsibly and transparently.
In a time when accessing services is increasingly moving online, it is vital that the most disenfranchised and vulnerable in our society are not left behind, exploited or ignored.
What is the most important thing you think the Senedd should do in the next five years?
The pledges that Welsh Labour is building our election campaign around show that we are serious about moving Wales forward. A guarantee of work, education or training for all under-25s; ensuring our care workers get the real living wage; delivering safer communities with more PCSOs on our streets; creating new jobs and delivering a greener Wales.
These are policies that will make people’s lives better - and that our Senedd can achieve if Welsh Labour gets back into government.
What will you do for your constituency if elected?
I am ambitious for better jobs, excellent twenty first century schools, and a strong and sustainable NHS that includes social care and mental health provision.
Together we will fight for meaningful support, and a strategy for our local economy, investment in our town centres and rail electrification through Bridgend, to name a few!
I volunteer as a trustee for an environmental charity based in Porthcawl where we have an ethical shop, and I get to chat to residents from across our constituency and campaign for Climate Action – an issue that I am very passionate about.
I also volunteer with BAVO, and have been out and about safely checking on residents, and delivering food and essentials to people across our community during the pandemic.
