Candidates make final bids for Legislative Council as election draws near

The 2024 Legislative Council elections have attracted 16 candidates who will contest the divisions of Elwick, Prosser and Hobart.

The campaign trail was interrupted in March when Premier Jeremy Rockliff called a state election, placing focus on lower house candidates.

The upper house nominees have pushed to make their names known in the weeks since, with many making final bids to voters in recent days.

The Greens held a press conference on Friday as a final push for Cassy O'Connor in the division of Hobart.

Party leader Rosalie Woodruff said polling day offered "a historic opportunity" to elect a Green candidate to the Legislative Council.

"There was a huge vote towards the Greens in the state election. We were very effective with five members in the lower house," she said.

"But there's no Greens in the upper house to carry the change that we can pass in the lower house unless we have Cassy O'Connor there doing her bit."

Previously serving as leader of the Tasmanian Greens from 2015, Ms O'Connor stepped down from the position and the lower house in July 2023.

While she made her intentions clear at the time to run for the Legislative Council, Ms O'Connor admitted on Friday that she was nervous for the result.

"I know I took a gamble when I resigned from the lower house and announced I'd be making a pitch for Hobart," she said.

"But we've got a Legislative Council right now which is dominated by the major parties and we're absolutely convinced that you need a strong Green voice up in there to hold the line."

The seat has historically been traded between Labor and independent members, with the unaffiliated Rob Valentine set to finish his second term after he was elected in 2012.

The Liberal Party didn't field a candidate for Hobart or Elwick, but have chosen Kerry Vincent to represent it in Prosser.

Labor nominated former Tasmanian Australian of the Year John Kamara to run against Ms O'Connor in Hobart along with five other independent nominees.

Party leader Dean Winter said he was proud of Mr Kamara and his fellow Labor candidates Tessa McLaughlin (Elwick) and Bryan Green (Prosser).

"John Kamara is an outstanding candidate, humanitarian and advocate, who is passionate about making a difference for people in need," he said.

"John would be the first refugee elected to the Tasmanian Parliament and would add some much-needed diversity."