Sarah Game’s Fair Go Party has lost its lead Upper House candidate after chris mcdermott confirmed he left the party on Wednesday morning. This departure, announced days before early voting opens this Saturday, signals a campaign heading toward internal fractures and ballot confusion unless one of two clear paths plays out.
Sarah Game and Fair Go: confirmed split with Chris Mcdermott
Game said she found out on Wednesday morning that Chris Mcdermott was leaving her Fair Go party after what she described as “limited direct conversation” since he was announced as the party’s lead candidate on the Upper House ticket. McDermott said he confirmed his departure on Wednesday morning and had earlier flagged to Game that “it was not going the way I hoped it would. ” The Electoral Commission of South Australia confirmed McDermott will still appear on the ballot papers as the first candidate for Sarah Game Fair Go for Australians, and this cannot change.
Forces visible in the campaign: Jennifer Game, How-To-Vote delays and campaign spending
Several specific frictions are evident in the context. McDermott cited “many straws to break the camel’s back, ” including a long phone call with Jennifer Game on Tuesday night; Jennifer Game is running in the seat of Black for Fair Go and is a past One Nation candidate. Campaign logistics also strained relations: McDermott referenced needing approval to post online and delays over producing How-To-Vote cards just days away from early voting opening this Saturday. Sarah Game said she spent $12, 000 on corflutes bearing McDermott’s face as a sign of goodwill and that McDermott attended a parliamentary event with her and key stakeholders only yesterday.
If Chris Mcdermott stands as an independent, the ballot will still list Fair Go
If chris mcdermott ultimately runs as an independent, the immediate, confirmed fact is that ballot listings will still show him as the first candidate for Sarah Game Fair Go for Australians because the Electoral Commission has said this cannot change. That condition creates a specific direction of travel: voters may see his name linked to Fair Go on the ballot even if he pursues an independent campaign, and Game has already said McDermott’s exit left remaining candidates upset. Jake Hall-Evans previously left Fair Go to run in Colton as an independent after losing the top spot to McDermott, showing an existing pattern of candidates shifting away from the party.
Should Fair Go’s campaign setbacks continue, internal loyalty and public message will be tested
Should the campaign setbacks described in the context persist, Sarah Game’s concern that “we’ve not seen a good campaign” could deepen and prompt further departures or public fracturing. Game said she was “disappointed but relieved” by McDermott’s departure and noted that remaining Legislative Council candidate Shannon Foote had assured her of loyalty, but other remaining candidates had called to express upset. The context also records Game and Jennifer Game resigned from One Nation last year, a fact tied to the party’s recent realignments and candidate shifts.
Closing: The next confirmed milestone in the context is early voting opening this Saturday; that event will reveal immediate voter response and the practical effects of McDermott’s exit on the ballot. What the context does not resolve is whether McDermott will formally register and campaign as an independent beyond leaving the party, which is the specific event that will clarify how votes and party messaging divide. For now, the campaign is on a visible path toward fragmentation unless either McDermott’s plans change or Fair Go stabilizes its remaining ticket ahead of early voting.
