Returning member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie has hit out at "offensive" comments made by Liberal Party stalwart Alexander Downer, as both sides turn their attention to a rematch at the general election.
Ms Sharkie comfortably dismissed a challenge from high-profile Liberal and daughter of Mr Downer, Georgina Downer, at Saturday's by-election with a nine per cent surge in her primary vote.
But, as she had done in the lead-up to the vote, Ms Sharkie on Sunday said the campaign waged against her by the Liberals was "nasty" and pointed to a comment made by Mr Downer on Facebook.
Mr Downer's post said Ms Sharkie's supporters had brought "horrible hate to our district" before adding they "must all be new arrivals".
"I think the comment that we must be newcomers to the hills was pretty offensive for a lot of people," Ms Sharkie told reporters in Mount Barker.
She also took issue with Mr Downer's comment, following his daughter's concession on Saturday, that his family have been nation builders and are "as South Australian as the River Torrens".
"I think every person that lives in South Australia is a South Australian," she said.
"I just don't buy into this whole hierarchy entitlement."
Ms Downer said she respected the decision of the people of Mayo, but has vowed to stand again at the next federal election in 2019.
"I think the circumstances next year will be very different," she said on Sunday.
"Next year we will have a clear choice, a clear choice between the re-election of the Turnbull coalition government, a government that is building a stronger economy.
"The other choice, of course, is the election of a Shorten-led Labor government, the prospects of which here in Mayo are incredibly concerning for people."
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne backed Ms Downer's 2019 campaign and said she can shift momentum back towards the Liberals.
"I think people will see that Georgina is very much a local," he told the ABC on Sunday.
To reclaim Mayo, Ms Downer will need to overcome the growing popularity of the Centre Alliance's Ms Sharkie, who in 2016 became the first non-Liberal to hold the seat but was forced to resign due to a dual citizenship issue.
She is expected to finish the by-election with about 58 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, increasing her margin by almost three percentage points.
Ms Sharkie said she is expecting another hard-fought battle despite her convincing win.
"I think every election is a hard fight and it should be a hard fight, it should be a contest of ideas, a contest of values," she said.
