Liberal candidate Nick McGowan is running an unusual campaign for the Victorian seat of Ringwood, with local stunts, a low-key approach to his party affiliation and personal door-knocking that he says has covered almost every street in the electorate. The 51-year-old father of three resigned from the upper house to contest the lower house seat, which the Liberals lost in the 2018 'Danslide'.
On a recent Thursday door-knocking in Mitcham, McGowan wore a pink T-shirt with his name and avoided mentioning the Liberal Party in most conversations. In a few dozen interactions observed by a reporter, he named his party just three times. 'I don't love shoving my politics down anyone's throat,' McGowan said. 'I don't think the public love it either.'
Political commentator Dr Zareh Ghazarian said McGowan's approach was part of a broader effort by the Victorian Liberal branch to separate itself from its federal colleagues and its own recent history. McGowan says he focuses on common ground rather than partisanship, a lesson he learned while working for agencies under the UN.
McGowan has become locally known for stunts such as scrubbing graffiti and drawing attention to potholes and the lack of a public toilet at Ringwood East station. Labor MP Sonja Terpstra has said his clean-up efforts caused further damage to one bridge, in the order of $150,000, a claim McGowan disputes.
He has announced tens of millions of dollars in funding commitments for the area and pledged to build a new facility at Maroondah Hospital, despite the Liberals not having made any formal commitments. If successful on election night, his all-in approach will leave him with a lot to deliver. If he doesn’t, it might be back to the crystal ball, a reference to a fortune-teller he visited in Melbourne with his childhood friend and Liberal colleague Matthew Guy.
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Analysis
Why This Matters
Shows how candidates are navigating the Liberal brand in the Victorian election, distancing from federal party issues.
Highlights the importance of local campaigning and personal profile in a tightly contested seat.
Reflects broader trends of non-partisan appeal and grassroots engagement in state politics.
Background
Ringwood has been held by Labor since the 2018 state election, when it was won by Will Fowles. Fowles has kept a low profile after assault allegations (no charges were laid, and he has denied wrongdoing).
Nick McGowan was a Liberal member of the upper house from 2022 and has run unsuccessfully in previous state and federal elections. He resigned to contest Ringwood.
The Victorian election is scheduled for November 28, 2026.
Key Perspectives
Nick McGowan (Liberal candidate): Says he focuses on local issues and avoids emphasising his party affiliation. 'I don't love shoving my politics down anyone's throat.' He describes his version of liberalism as centred on a tolerant, multicultural society.
Dr Zareh Ghazarian (political commentator): Says McGowan's distancing from the Liberal brand is part of a conscious effort by the party's Victorian branch to separate from federal colleagues and its own messy past.
What to Watch
The result in Ringwood on election night, November 28, as a test of whether McGowan's strategy can reclaim the seat.
Whether the Liberal Party's broader effort to downplay federal issues resonates in other seats.
How incumbency and Labor's campaign respond to McGowan's high local profile.
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
SupportedNick McGowan is running an unconventional campaign for the Victorian seat of Ringwood.The Age - Latest News: “It’s an unconventional way to start a conversation”
SupportedMcGowan is a former upper house member who is distancing himself from the Liberal brand.The Age - Latest News: “The Liberal candidate for Ringwood, who recently resigned from the upper house”
SupportedMcGowan says he has personally door-knocked almost every street in the electorate in the past month.The Age - Latest News: “In the past month, he reckons he’s personally door-knocked almost every street in the electorate.”
SupportedThe Liberals lost Ringwood in the 2018 ‘Danslide’.The Age - Latest News: “someone hoping to win the seat back for the Liberals on November 28, after it was lost in the so-called ‘Danslide’ of 2018.”
SupportedMcGowan is 51 and has three children, and resigned from the upper house to contest the lower house seat.The Age - Latest News: “The 51-year-old father-of-three”
SupportedOn a Thursday in Mitcham, McGowan wore a pink T-shirt with his name and mentioned the Liberal Party three times in a few dozen observed interactions.The Age - Latest News: “In the few dozen interactions I observe between him and residents, he mentions the name of his party just three times.”
SupportedMcGowan said, “I don't love shoving my politics down anyone's throat,” and, “I don't think the public love it either.”The Age - Latest News: ““I don’t love shoving my politics down anyone’s throat,” he says. “I don’t think the public love it either.””
SupportedDr Zareh Ghazarian said the Victorian Liberal branch was trying to separate itself from federal colleagues and its recent history.The Age - Latest News: “Political commentator Dr Zareh Ghazarian says McGowan’s not alone in distancing himself from the Liberal brand at this election. He says the party’s Victorian branch has made a conscious effort in 2026 to separate itself from its flailing federal colleagues, as well as its own recent messy past.”
SupportedMcGowan says he learned to focus on common ground while working for agencies under the UN.The Age - Latest News: “As an adult, he moved between countries working for various agencies under the umbrella of the UN”
SupportedMcGowan has become locally known for stunts including scrubbing graffiti, drawing attention to potholes and highlighting the lack of a public toilet at Ringwood East station.The Age - Latest News: “From mowing nature strips to posing with Instagram-famous potholes, locally, McGowan is notorious for such stunts. Videos of him scrubbing graffiti”
SupportedSonja Terpstra said McGowan’s clean-up efforts further damaged a bridge by about $150,000, a claim McGowan disputes.The Age - Latest News: “Labor MP Sonja Terpstra, who said his clean-up efforts had actually done further damage to one bridge in the order of $150,000 – a claim McGowan refutes.”
SupportedMcGowan announced tens of millions of dollars in area funding commitments and pledged a new Maroondah Hospital facility, although the Liberals had made no formal commitments.The Age - Latest News: “He’s also announced tens of millions of dollars in funding commitments for the area and has pledged to build a new facility at Maroondah Hospital, despite the Liberals not having made any formal commitments.”
Correction
An earlier version of this story attributed The Age's characterisation of McGowan's political position to McGowan himself. It was the article's description, not his own words.