The Liberal Democrats have retained Bradninch ward on Mid Devon District Council after Dr Mary Ryan won Thursday’s by-election with 476 votes, representing approximately 72.6% of valid votes cast.
Ryan finished 385 votes ahead of Reform UK candidate Liam O’Brien, who came second with 91 votes. The result was declared following polling on 15 October 2026.
Bradninch by-election: full results
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
| Mary Ryan (elected) | Liberal Democrats | 476 | 72.6% |
| Liam O’Brien | Reform UK | 91 | 13.9% |
| Dirk McFarlane-Aitken | Conservative | 37 | 5.6% |
| Piers Martin Kotting | Labour | 31 | 4.7% |
| Kirsty Mackenzie | Green | 21 | 3.2% |
Mid Devon District Council recorded 656 ballot papers issued from an electorate of 1,659, giving a turnout of 39.5%. No ballot papers were rejected.
Why was the election held?
The vacancy followed the resignation of former Liberal Democrat council leader Luke Taylor, who moved to the United States for work. Taylor had represented Bradninch since 2015 and led Mid Devon District Council from 2023.
How does the result compare?
The Liberal Democrat share was approximately 9.6 percentage points lower than in the 2023 ward election, but the party retained the seat by a substantial margin. Reform UK, which did not stand in that previous contest, finished second with 13.9%.
This was a district council by-election, not an election to Devon County Council or Parliament.