Erin Thompson (politician)

Erin Louise Thompson is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2022 state election, representing Davenport. With a swing of 11.6 per cent, she defeated the Liberal Party member, Steve Murray, who had held the seat since 2018. Until the 2022 state election, Davenport had been held exclusively by Liberal Party members since its creation prior to the 1970 election. According to ABC election analyst Antony Green, prior to the 2022 election the frequent redistributions had little impact on the Liberal margin in Davenport, but there had been a slow narrowing between the Davenport results and the state-wide Liberal two-party-preferred vote.

Prior to her preselection, Thompson had served as elected mayor of the City of Onkaparinga, taking leave of absence to campaign for Davenport.

Personal life and career

Erin Louise Thompson attended St Clare's College in Canberra, and completed an Advanced Diploma of Tourism and Marketing and a Diploma in Management. She lives in Happy Valley, and formerly worked as a communications officer for the City of Unley. Thompson assisted former Unley mayor Lachlan Clyne with his unsuccessful campaign to win the seat of Badcoe for the Liberal Party in the 2018 state election.

Political career

Thompson was a candidate for mayor of the City of Onkaparinga in the 2018 South Australian local government elections, after the council – the largest in the state by population – was beset by financial and leadership issues in the previous term.