To use a weather analogy, a tsunami ripped through the City of Newcastle (CN) by-election at the weekend.

And, its name was Gavin Morris.

While many pundits predicted a close battle, the popular television presenter and meteorologist enjoyed more than 50% of the vote when counting closed on Saturday 18 April.

Mr Morris finished with a massive 34,810 from The Greens candidate Charlotte McCabe (13,998) and Labor’s Declan Clausen (11,175).

Liberals’ Jenny Barrie claimed 4,837 votes, with Socialist Alliance’s Steve O’Brien and Independent Milton Caine picking up 2,055 and 1,502 respectively.

An over-the-moon Mr Morris expressed his gratitude to everyone for their support.

“It’s a fantastic result,” he said.

“I’m absolutely delighted.

“But, I need to thank the incredible team behind me and the people of Newcastle.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t about me.

“It’s about our community, it’s about our city.

“And, I’m really excited about the future, which lays ahead for us because it’s a step towards us coming together.

“I’m determined to build our city into the one we deserve.”

Mr Morris, who was endorsed for the role by his predecessor Dr Ross Kerridge, began his career as a DJ with some of Australia’s leading radio stations including 2MMM-FM, K-Rock and NEW-FM.

Before joining the team at NBN News in 2009 as the 6pm meteorological presenter, he was the senior forecaster with The Weather Channel, covering some of the nation’s biggest natural disasters including the Victorian Black Saturday bushfires and the devastating storms that hit the Brisbane suburb The Gap.

He also regularly appeared on the Today Show, reporting on weather events, as well as being the summer host of Weekend Today.

However, Mr Morris was surprisingly cut from NBN in November, opening the door for a tilt at the Lord Mayor’s crown.

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