Former teal independent MP Zoe Daniel has conceded defeat in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein after a partial recount found Liberal candidate Tim Wilson won the vote on a razor-thin margin.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) today finalised a partial recount of the seat of Goldstein in Melbourne’s south-east, which found a final 175-vote margin separating the two candidates.

In a statement, Daniel thanked her constituents, who elected her into Parliament over Wilson at the 2022 Federal Election.

”It’s been a long process and, in the end after a recount of about 85,000 votes, representing 75% of the votes cast, there were only a few votes in it,” Daniel said.

“Goldstein is now one of the most marginal seats in the country, and with that comes embedded accountability. In that, we have done our job.

“This incredibly close contest reflects just how much our community cares about the future.”

The AEC today attributed the discrepancy between the initial vote and the recount to “a data entry error on a previous count” as well as “further determinations made on ballot paper formality as a result of challenges from candidate-appointed scrutineers”.

“The partial recount has been a methodical and highly transparent process with all counting activities throughout the entire counting period occurring in front of candidate appointed scrutineers,” an AEC spokesperson said.

Daniel thanked AEC staff for their “diligence, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the integrity of our democratic process”.

“In a world where trust in elections is being eroded in so many places, we should never take this for granted,” Daniel said of the electoral process.

She concluded by thanking her team of “amazing” scrutineers, volunteers and supporters.

“You stood at polling places in challenging environments. You knocked on doors. You made calls.

“You had hard conversations with courage and grace. You did it because you believe in something better.

“Because you know that politics can be done differently—and must be.

“This is not the end. It’s not even the end of the beginning.

“Community independent politics is alive. It is thriving. And together, we will keep shaping the future of our democracy.”

Daniel has been under pressure to concede the electorate for the last three weeks, after Wilson declared victory on May 7.

The teal independent claimed victory on election night when early counting heavily favoured her, only for postal votes to swing the contest into Wilson’s favour, breaking more than 60-40 for the Liberal candidate.

The NSW seat of Bradfield remains the last uncalled seat in the country.

That result could take up to two weeks.