Conservative candidate Dani Seymour has won the Drybridge Ward by-election for Monmouth Town Council, securing almost two-thirds of the valid votes cast.
Seymour received 320 votes in the poll held on Thursday 30 July 2026, defeating independent candidate Laura McCartney, who received 196.
The result gave the Conservative candidate a majority of 124 votes. Turnout was recorded at 28%, with 518 ballot papers issued from an electorate of 1,845.
Drybridge Ward by-election result
| Candidate | Party or description | Votes | Vote share |
| Dani Seymour | Local Conservatives | 320 | 62.0% |
| Laura Mary McCartney | Independent | 196 | 38.0% |
Vote shares are calculated from the 516 valid votes cast. Two ballot papers were rejected as unmarked or void for uncertainty.
- Conservative majority: 124 votes
- Electorate: 1,845
- Ballot papers issued: 518
- Turnout: 28%
- Rejected ballots: 2
Conservative victory in a two-candidate contest
The result returns a Local Conservative councillor in a direct contest against an independent candidate. Seymour took approximately 62% of the valid vote, placing her 24 percentage points ahead of McCartney.
Monmouthshire County Council’s returning officer, Paul Matthews, formally declared Seymour elected following the count.
The result concerns Monmouth Town Council, not Monmouthshire County Council or the Monmouthshire parliamentary constituency. Town councillors deal with matters at the most local tier of government and represent their communities on issues affecting the town.
No reliable like-for-like previous result was included in the official declaration, so a party swing cannot be calculated from the published figures alone.
Steve Lewis elected uncontested in neighbouring Osbaston
A second Monmouth Town Council vacancy has also been filled, although no public vote will be required.
Steve Lewis, standing as a Local Conservative, was the only person validly nominated for the Osbaston Ward vacancy. Monmouthshire County Council therefore declared him elected uncontested on 3 August.
The election had been scheduled for Thursday 27 August if more than one candidate stood. As Lewis was the sole nominee, there will be no poll and consequently no turnout, vote total or majority to report.
The two developments should therefore be distinguished: Seymour won a contested by-election in Drybridge, while Lewis was returned unopposed in Osbaston.
Two new Conservative town councillors
Together, the results add two Local Conservative representatives to Monmouth Town Council. The Drybridge declaration supplies a clear electoral result, while the Osbaston notice records an uncontested return following the close of nominations.
For election watchers, the Drybridge figures provide the more meaningful measure of voter support: a Conservative victory by 320 votes to 196 in a two-candidate contest, albeit on turnout of less than three in ten registered electors.