The Labor Party will attempt to retain the seat of Pakenham with Alessandra Soliven, a Gen Z rising star in the party, still fresh out of university.
The 23-year-old was pre-selected recently by the Pakenham branch to contest the 2026 state election for the Labor Party.
Ms Soliven is being tasked with retaining one of the most marginal seats in Victoria and succeeding current sitting member Emma Vulin.
If elected, Soliven could be the youngest MP ever in Victorian history at the age of 24, beating the current record holder Premier Allan who was first elected at the age of 25.
Ms Vulin said the young candidate will bring generational change if elected.
“I welcome the endorsement of Alessandra Soliven as Labor’s candidate for Pakenham in the state election next year. As someone who grew up in the south east, she understands the outer suburbs and what areas like ours need,” Ms Vulin said.
“She will bring generational change and fresh ideas to carry on the work we have done for the Pakenham District.”
Ms Soliven was born in the Philippines and grew up in the South East. Attending Alkira Secondary School, where she was valedictorian.
She was studying at the University of Melbourne in 2023 and has worked as an organiser for the Australian Services Union.
Her political experience includes serving as Women’s Officer for the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) in 2023.
She hails from the Socialist Left faction, she was elected at UMSU under the National Labor Students ticket Stand Up!
Ms Soliven also previously worked in the office of Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards.
Ms Richards spoke about Ms Soliven in a speech in Parliament in 2023.
“Alessandra Soliven, who I was so pleased to have gotten to know when I met Alessandra as the valedictorian at Alkira Secondary College, who came and worked with me in the electorate office, took on every task imaginable and did not just take on the tasks but really took them on with great passion and care,“ Ms Richards said.
In a social media post last year, Ms Richards said she watched in “awe“ as Ms Soliven spoke about her union organising at the 2024 State Labor Conference.
The seat of Pakenham was won by Ms Vulin in 2022 by just 300 votes, the second most marginal seat in the State.
