Independent candidates with the biggest financial war chests failed to get elected at the May election, as Climate 200 and individual donors poured a record $27 million into community independent campaigns.

Independent challenger for the seat of Wannon, former radio presenter Alex Dyson, received the most donations of any independent at the last election, raising $2.2 million in donations that ultimately failed to clinch the Victorian seat from Liberal MP Dan Tehan.

He was followed by Caz Heise, a Climate 200-backed candidate who raised $2.1 million to make an unsuccessful tilt against the Nationals for the NSW seat of Cowper.

The fundraising effort for independent candidates raised significantly more in 2025 than in 2022, but new election donor rules to be introduced in July next year,

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