# Somerset Council elections

Somerset Council elections are held every four years to elect Somerset Council, the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England. From 1889 until 2023 the council was called Somerset County Council and it was an upper tier county council, with district-level functions being provided by the area's district councils. The districts were all abolished with effect from 1 April 2023, at which point the county council became a unitary authority, taking on the functions of the abolished district councils. The county council changed its name to Somerset Council to coincide with the change in its powers. There are 110 councillors, elected from 54 wards.

## Summary of recent elections

The Conservative Party has been the largest or second-largest party on the council since 1973, and since 1981 has competed with the Liberal Democrats for control; each party has formed several majority administrations in the period since.
In 2009, the Conservative Party UK won 35 seats, a six seat majority, with the Liberal Democrats UK coming second with 21 seats, in 2013 the Conservative Party UK won 29 seats, a one seat majority, with the Liberal Democrats UK coming second with 18 seats and UKIP (a new entrant) coming joint third with Labour Party UK on three seats. In 2017 the Conservative Party UK won back seats and ended up winning 35 seats, gaining them a seven seat majority, in this election, UKIP did not stand and the Liberal Democrats UK continued their loss of seats dropping to 12 (although they remained in second place).
The 2022 local elections in Somerset were fought on new boundaries, with 110 seats available within the new unitary council. In this election the Liberal Democrats UK won 61 seats granting them a five seat majority, the Conservative Party UK came second with 36 seats.

## Council elections

* 1973 Somerset County Council election
* 1977 Somerset County Council election
* 1981 Somerset County Council election (boundary changes)
* 1985 Somerset County Council election
* 1989 Somerset County Council election
* 1993 Somerset County Council election
* 1997 Somerset County Council election
* 2001 Somerset County Council election (boundary changes increased the number of seats by one)
* 2005 Somerset County Council election
* 2009 Somerset County Council election
* 2013 Somerset County Council election
* 2017 Somerset County Council election
* 2022 Somerset Council election

## County result maps

* 2001 results map
* 2005 results map
* 2009 results map
* 2013 results map
* 2017 results map
* 2022 results map

## By-election results
### 1997–2001

Minehead By-Election 30 July 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 1,428 | 42.6 | +7.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 1,125 | 33.6 | −1.4 |
| | Labour | | 798 | 23.8 | −5.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 303 | 9.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,351 | 37.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Lydeard By-Election 28 October 1999 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | | 948 | 68.2 | +28.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | | 442 | 31.8 | −14.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 506 | 36.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,390 | 28.0 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### 2005–2009

Mendip North East By-Election 1 May 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Matthew Ellis | 1,568 | 51.2 | +6.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Hasell | 1,497 | 48.8 | +9.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 71 | 2.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,065 | 43.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Shepton Mallett By-Election 29 May 2008 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Margaret Robinson | 950 | 47.4 | +10.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rachel Witcombe | 783 | 39.1 | +5.5 |
| | Labour | Christopher Inchley | 271 | 13.5 | −15.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 167 | 8.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,004 | 29.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2009–2013

Shepton Mallett By-Election 5 May 2011 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Parham | 1,307 | 41.3 | −7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Garfield Kennedy | 892 | 28.2 | −6.2 |
| | Labour | Chris Inchley | 711 | 22.5 | +6.0 |
| | Green | Ian Forster | 256 | 8.1 | +8.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 415 | 13.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,166 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
South Petherton By-Election 4 August 2011 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Maxwell | 1,333 | 53.6 | +13.3 |
| | Conservative | Paul Thompson | 943 | 37.9 | −5.4 |
| | Green | Ian Greenfield | 108 | 4.3 | −2.9 |
| | UKIP | Godfrey Davey | 104 | 4.2 | +4.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 390 | 15.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,488 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Brent By-Election 1 December 2011 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Denbee | 1,285 | 58.0 | −11.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Groves | 932 | 42.0 | +17.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 353 | 15.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,217 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2013–2017

Frome North By-Election 25 September 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Linda Oliver | 1,163 | 47.7 | +12.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Damon Hooton | 836 | 34.3 | −3.0 |
| | Labour | Catherine Richardson | 163 | 6.7 | −4.1 |
| | Independent | Adrian Dobinson | 139 | 5.7 | +5.7 |
| | Green | Les Spalding | 139 | 5.7 | +5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 327 | 13.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,440 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Taunton North By-Election 7 May 2015 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Adkins | 1,298 | 29.9 | +12.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barrie Hall | 976 | 22.5 | −8.2 |
| | Labour | Libby Lisgo | 927 | 21.4 | −0.7 |
| | UKIP | Robert Bainbridge | 814 | 18.8 | −5.1 |
| | Green | Alan Debenham | 326 | 7.5 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 322 | 7.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,341 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |

### 2017–2022

Comeytrowe & Trull By-Election 7 October 2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dawn Johnson | 1,677 | 63.2 | +15.6 |
| | Conservative | Ruth Harmon | 886 | 33.4 | −6.4 |
| | Labour | Michael McGuffie | 92 | 3.5 | −2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 791 | 29.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,655 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 11.0 | |

### 2022–2027

Castle Cary By-Election 10 August 2023 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kevin Messenger | 1,247 | 54.8 | +10.4 |
| | Conservative | David Hall | 614 | 27.0 | −15.7 |
| | Green | Ewan Jones | 415 | 18.2 | +5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 633 | 27.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,276 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Somerton By-Election 28 March 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Page | 1,212 | 50.1 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | David Hall | 878 | 36.3 | −2.2 |
| | Labour | Gregory Chambers | 174 | 7.2 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Matthew Geen | 154 | 6.4 | +6.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 334 | 13.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,418 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Mendip South By-Election 2 May 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rob Reed | 1,313 | 47.3 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | Ken Maddock | 1,122 | 40.4 | −6.8 |
| | Green | Michael Smyth | 200 | 7.2 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | David Oakensen | 139 | 5.0 | +5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 191 | 6.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,774 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Blackmoor Vale By-Election 21 November 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Hayward Burt | 1,120 | 57.4 | +13.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Howard Ellard | 714 | 36.6 | −19.1 |
| | Green | Peter Ebsworth | 86 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| | Labour | Gregory Chambers | 32 | 1.6 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 406 | 20.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,952 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |
Rowbarton and Staplegrove By-Election 21 November 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick O'Donnell | 817 | 58.3 | +1.7 |
| | Conservative | Pete Prior-Sankey | 396 | 28.3 | −2.3 |
| | Green | Alan William Debenham | 102 | 7.3 | +7.3 |
| | Labour | Moya Patricia Doherty | 86 | 6.1 | −6.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 421 | 30.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,401 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |