Nick Xenophon

Who is Nick Xenophon?

Nicholas "Nick" Xenophon is an independent Senator for South Australia. Xenophon was born in Adelaide, South Australia, to Greek migrants. He attended Prince Alfred College and studied law at the University of Adelaide, attaining his Bachelor of Laws in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co. in 1984. Between 1994 and 1997 he served as president of the South Australian branch of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association.

No Pokies, the name of his independent ticket in the South Australian Legislative Council, garnered 2.9 percent of the statewide vote at the 1997 state election getting to the 8.3 percent quota on preferences, and won 20.5 percent of the vote at the 2006 election, which was unexpected by political commentators. He was elected to the Australian Senate at the 2007 federal election, receiving 14.8 percent statewide. This was still 0.5 percent over a full Senate quota, gaining election without the need for preferences. However, at the 2013 federal election Xenophon received a record vote of 24.9 percent.