The Liberal Democrats have retained the Hedge End South ward on Eastleigh Borough Council after Jim Paine secured victory in Thursday's by-election.
Paine was elected with 1,086 votes, comfortably ahead of Conservative candidate Jerry Hall, who finished second.
Reform UK placed third, while the Green Party and Labour also contested the seat.
Hedge End South by-election result
- Jim Paine — Liberal Democrat: 1,086 votes (46.1%)
- Jerry Hall — Conservative: 590 votes (25.0%)
- Mike Smith — Reform UK: 444 votes (18.8%)
- Geoff Skinner — Green Party: 199 votes (8.4%)
- John Hill — Labour: 39 votes (1.7%)
Turnout was 27%, with 2,360 ballot papers issued from an electorate of 8,605. Two ballot papers were rejected.
The by-election was held on 30 July 2026 following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor John Shepherd, who had represented the ward on Eastleigh Borough Council.
The result means the Liberal Democrats successfully defend one of their long-held seats, maintaining the party's strong position on Eastleigh Borough Council.
Although Reform UK continued to demonstrate support in the ward, it was unable to overtake either the Liberal Democrats or the Conservatives, finishing in third place.
The Conservatives improved their share of the vote compared with previous contests but remained some distance behind the winning Liberal Democrat candidate.
Eastleigh Borough Council has been under Liberal Democrat control for many years, with the party continuing to dominate representation across the borough. The Hedge End South result reinforces that position despite increasing competition from other parties in recent elections.
Jim Paine was formally declared elected as the new borough councillor for Hedge End South following the conclusion of the count.