Mr Gee was forced to go to preferences after winning 48.48 per cent of the vote.

Without a significant presence across the electorate or on polling day, the Liberal Democrats’ Glen Davis came within 737 votes of a well-staffed Greens election day campaign.

After eight months of campaigning and visits to Calare by Nick Xenophon, candidate Rod Bloomfield chose not to speak to the media.

Campaign manager Theo Crane welcomed the 4883 first preference votes or 5.35 per cent and flagged potential to solidify the support in future elections. 

He said the result demonstrated a willingness to consider other representatives for the region.

With just 30 volunteers, the small party was able to man 14 polling booths across Calare.

“This is a fantastic result for a team with few financial resources, and limited volunteers, contesting their first election in NSW,” Mr Crane said.

He said the party welcomed Mr Gee’s support for the Murray Darling Medical School – highlighting it as evidence of the power of smaller parties. Mr Crane said the party “will prove that our words are not wind, and that we will fight for our region, supporter members, volunteers and voters”.

Lithgow’s Anthony Craig had just $150 of donations, as well as his own wages to funnel into his campaign. Standing as an independent, he secured 3451 votes as of Monday afternoon, or 3.78 per cent.

“There’s still a possibility I might go higher, there’s still another 10,000 ballots to be counted,” Mr Craig said.

He said the major parties had “failed time and time again to listen to voters”.

“I had no corporate donors, I had donations from mum and a friend.”

Securing just 2082 votes the Christian Democrats’ Bernie Gesling had the smallest count on first preference votes, but was 400 more compared to 2013.

“It’s a beginning … it’s a process from one candidate to the other,” Mr Gesling said.

He said the Christian Democrats were slowly building on the support they received in previous elections.

Mr Gesling said the party owed its support to the people who had volunteered at pre-poll and on election day, he urged patience as the results for the Senate were counted.