While naturally cautious to claim victory, with 30,000 per-poll votes to be tallied, two-party preferred polling had Mr Hartsuyker at 56.6 per cent to Mr Oakeshott at 43.1 per cent.

Mr Hartsuyker said he was “delighted, and cautiously optimistic” of holding the seat.

A traditionally save conservative hold, Cowper became an electorate of national significance following the last minute announcement to contest by Mr Oakeshott, who shot to fame as the then Member for Lyne when he helped the Labor Party form a minority government in 2013.

That decision, in tandem with that of Independent Tony Windsor, riled their respective conservative electorates. Midway through the count on Saturday evening, it appeared the electorate had also rejected Mr Windsor in his challenge to Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce in the seat of New England.

Mr Hartsuyker said while Mr Oakeshott’s profile was strong, leaving his run so late to declare candidacy at close of nominations was a factor.

“We have been in office for three years and I think people would look at what has been achieved over a parliamentary term,” he told North Coast Fairfax Media.

The challenge posed by Mr Oakeshott was perceived to be so significant that a number of Coalition big guns publicly voiced their support for Mr Hartsuyker in the final weeks of the arduous campaign – Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, his predecessor Tony Abbott, former PM John Howard and State Premier Mike Baird.

Mr Hartsuyker though said the support of his team and small business operators across the Mid North Coast was every bit as telling.

He said Canberra’s attention was on the North Coast – with programs to create employment and complete the duplication of the Pacific Highway from Hexham to the Queensland border. And there was some irony in that, as the Cowper MP’s journey to his office at Coffs Harbour on election night was stalled by a B-double rollover on an undivided section of the road at Telegraph Point.