In South Australia 21 year old Charlotte Walker has become the youngest Senator in Australian history.
Having turned 21 on election night, Ms Walker now holds the 6th senate seat for Labor in South Australia. For the 2025 Federal election she was preselected for the 3rd spot on SA’s Senate ticket which many deemed ‘unwinnable’ based on traditional election numbers and results in the state. However, due to Labor’s major swing to popularity in the state, Ms Walker was estimated to win the seat as early as election night.
Prior to her Senate election, Charlotte Walker held the position of President of the Young Labor Party in South Australia and worked with the Australian Services Union as a staffer. Her keen interest in politics caught the attention of State Labor speaker Leon Bignell in 2022, whose office she started to work in.
The young senator used social media @charlotteforthesenate on Instagram to enhance her campaign. As younger voters make up a large demographic of the voting population, Ms Walker produced content youth-focused themes of makeup tutorials and Minecraft as the backdrop for the presentation of Labor policy. Posts also included interviews with young people about voting and policy to demonstrate a likeness to the audience.
Now Ms Walker has the opportunity to contribute to Australian democracy and provide a voice for young Australians in parliament.
Sophie Janusko 