Independent George Fraser has surged ahead after the second day of counting following the Upper Hunter Shire Council election.
The Scone solicitor has now picked up a total of 889 votes to move up to the second most popular candidate behind incumbent Mayor Maurice Collison.
Murrurundi’s Peter McGill has moved up to third spot with 805 votes ahead of Troy Stolz from Merriwa on 632.
James Burns has moved up to eighth spot with Scone Grammar Deputy Principal Allison McPhee dropping down to ninth.
The Jeff Drayton and De-Anne Douglas groups are set to dominate the next Muswellbrook Shire Council.
Mr Drayton had gained over 3 and a half quotas and Ms Douglas 2-point-6-9 after counting yesterday which means they will fill almost half of the 12 positions on council between them.
Ms Douglas polled extremely well at the Muswellbrook Basketball Stadium booth on the town’s Southside before pre-polling votes showed her support slightly fall.
The only other certainties at this stage of the count are new candidate Max Morris and returning councillors, Rohit Mahajan and Daryl Marshall.
Sue Moore remains ahead in the race to be Mayor again after the second day of counting in Singleton.
Sue has 3,337 first preference votes ahead of Danny Thompson on 2,237 and Peree Watson 1,430.
Anne McGowan and Timothy McGeachie appear to be the two candidates who will not be elected as councillors in Singleton depending on teh flow of preferences.
McGowan attracted 58 votes and McGeachie 44.
12 candidates stood for the nine available councillor positions.
