Division of Holbrook

The Division of Holbrook is a Craftian federal division in the state of Addams. It was created in 1945 and is one of the seven remaining divisions that were first contested in the 1945 general election. The division is named after the city of Holbrook and originally encompassed the city and a large area of surrounding countryside. Today, it covers the inner suburbs of the city and some of its eastern suburban belt due to population growth.

The sitting member, since the 2070 federal election, is Heath Sanford, a member of the Craftian Conservative Party.

History
The electorate of Holbrook (and by extension, its namesake city), is located within the 'Blue Wall' of Addams – the rural centre of the state, well known for being one of the heaviest strongholds of conservatism in the country. The current Conservative margin in Holbrook is 18.43%, making it the 'weakest' Blue Wall electorate (the others being Trijunction on 24.76%, Redleaf on 19.52% and Papele on 20.57%). The Division of Holbrook is generally slightly less safe for the Conservative Party due to its urban character, although the city of Holbrook is known being particularly conservative in comparison to other major cities.

Holbrook was first contested at the 1945 election, making it one of the oldest electorates in the country. It has downsized considerably, due to rapid population growth since its creation. Originally a hybrid urban-rural seat with the city of Holbrook as its core, it is now an inner-city electorate covering a regional urban centre. Holbrook has a reputation for being the home to many right-wing and religious movements. The city is currently the headquarters to the liberal-conservative Republican Party of Craftia, which considers Holbrook to be one of its strongest electoral bases, and also the far-right RUC–LA.

Despite these challenges from the right, the Conservative Party has remained the strongest party in the seat, having held Holbrook for all but five years since 1992. The last time it was out of Conservative hands was in 2033, when sitting member Danielle Slade defected from the Conservative Party to the National United Party, citing a lack of funding for her electorate in the midst of drought as the main factor. Since 2034, the Conservatives have had little trouble retaining the seat.