Many years back we had a state Labor member who was expelled from the party for allegedly defrauding his solicitor's trust fund. There was a by-election, and for the first time it looked like the Liberals might pick up the seat.
We had been campaigning for years for pedestrian lights at the primary school, and pedestrian crossings at the shopping centre, but were told that funding was tight and there were more important priorities elsewhere.
Overnight, we got lights for the school, the pedestrian crossing, and lights at a dangerous intersection. Surrounding suburbs also got everything they'd been asking for - and more. Labor won; but it showed the power of a marginal seat.