Ben Carroll, a former lawyer and political adviser, is positioned to become Victoria’s next premier ahead of the state election in four months. Multiple reports describe him as preparing to make a leadership challenge within Victorian Labor.
Carroll has been a member of the Victorian parliament since 2012. His political background includes work as a political adviser and experience in the transport portfolio, where he previously sought party leadership in 2023. In that earlier attempt, he did not secure the leadership and publicly indicated he has long been ambitious about rising to higher roles.
The current leadership transition is also linked to the resignation of Premier Daniel Andrews, who stepped down after believing his succession arrangements were settled. Andrews is reported to have planned for Jacinta Allan to take over as premier and Tim Pallas to become deputy.
Carroll’s stated intention to pursue a leadership challenge places him at the centre of Victoria’s political transition as Labor considers its next leadership lineup before the election.
