Statement · 27 July 2026

My political plans

From Hannah Ferguson

At the next federal election, I intend to run as an independent candidate in my home seat of Grayndler. The seat is currently represented by the Prime Minister.

I was born in Marrickville in 1998. At the time, Anthony Albanese had already been the federal member for two years. Back then, he held many views that were much closer to those I currently hold. While I’ve grown up in different parts of the country – from south-west Sydney, to Orange, Brisbane and beyond – the Inner West is the place I now proudly call home. I believe we deserve better representation.

Early last year, I announced that I intended to run as an independent Senator for New South Wales. Towards the end of 2025, I realised that the more conversations I was having, the more the question came up: why not Grayndler? I have spent a long time considering this question, because it is a decision I take incredibly seriously.

“This is not about public profile or a Prime Minister.”

This is about each of us doing what we can to make genuine change and address a broken political system which is incapable of putting our needs first. This is not about public profile or a Prime Minister.

Earlier this year, I sent out a survey to understand the local and national issues that everyday Australians are passionate about. The survey also invited people to leave their details if they wanted to get involved in my independent campaign. Almost 10,000 responses came in. I quickly realised how many of these passionate people were my neighbours. I started reaching out to hear their concerns, get feedback, and to deepen my understanding of the issues and the opportunity for an independent campaign. We then began building a local network of people keen for community events to discuss the issues people care about. Our first free event sold out, and we’re planning bigger for the next.

My job makes this unique. I knew as soon as I began hosting community events that the media would report on this, and that’s what happened over the weekend. But this is not about headlines or clickbait, it’s about hearing directly from people in this community who feel unrepresented. The political system is broken. The major parties are answering to vested interests, not the communities they have been elected to serve. The Albanese Government currently holds a historic 94-seat super majority in the House of Representatives, yet all I hear is disappointment and frustration.

I am not here to play politics, that is just another reason Australians are fed up with the political party machinery. This is about fighting for better community representation and ensuring that local needs are heard and acted on. My intention is to keep running local events, keep listening to feedback and to keep learning from my community.

I want to build a strong, community informed, evidence-based policy platform that builds on the issues that I am already hearing. The people of Grayndler deserve better than a representative who chooses to prioritise the gambling lobby, fossil fuel industry, and donors who pay to play.

As for Cheek Media, it is of course already challenging to navigate political candidacy with this small business that I have grown for the last six years. The next federal election could be as late as May 2028, and it is my intention to step away from the business at some stage next year to campaign full-time. For now, we have an amazing team of journalists who will continue delivering the progressive coverage that our audience trusts. I will continue to publish disclaimers on the content I produce for the platform. I want Cheek to remain independent and to exist long after me.

If you’re in Grayndler, I hope to see you at our next local event. Whether you’ve voted Labor for thirty years or are considering One Nation, I’d love to get your feedback and understand your concerns. This isn’t about ideological lines – but growing a movement of people who deserve to be heard.

To stay updated with my campaign please share your details here. To get in touch you can email me directly at [email protected].

This is a significant pursuit. I know it will be met with many attacks from both the media and politicians, I’m already experiencing them behind the scenes. This does not deter me. My belief is that we need more difficult people standing up and fighting to change the systems that are failing so many of us and our future.

I hope that many of you will join me to build a campaign that genuinely serves and reflects locals – not a party line.

It’s time for change.

Hannah

Media enquiries
Email [email protected]

Authorised by Hannah Ferguson, Level 2 139 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000