Long-serving minister David Llewellyn is just 36 votes ahead of the fresh-faced Rebecca White, who ran a controversial campaign attacking the older politicians within her party.

Michael Polley was returned last night and will become the longest-serving MP in Australia after the retirement of South Australian Liberal MP Graham Gunn.

Mr Polley fired back at Ms White's ad campaign, which asked voters if they were "sick of the same old pollies" as she swept Pollywaffle chocolate bars off a desk.

"I can say, this pollywaffle is back in town," Mr Polley said.

"I found that (ad) was offending many people (in Lyons)."

Mr Polley said he would see out this four-year term and "absolutely" intended to run again in 2014. Ms White, sitting on 5768 votes, said the amount of support she got was beyond what she expected.

"To be here with that primary vote number in front of me is unbelievable," she said.

"The theme of renewal, the theme of my campaign, resonated with people who are focused on the future."

Asked whether she could work with Mr Polley if they were both elected, Ms White responded: "I have no doubt we can work together."

Mr Llewellyn - on 5814 votes - didn't answer questions about the "pollywaffle" ad, but instead said he couldn't do as much doorknocking as Ms White.

"It's one thing being a minister, you can't do too much of that," he said.

"I only doorknocked a handful of houses."

Sitting member Heather Butler conceded she was going to lose her seat and thanked her staff and family for what they'd helped her achieve.

She listed a number of projects on the East Coast that she was happy to have seen through, including the St Helens school upgrades, the Swansea water project and child-care centres in Bicheno and Campbell Town.

Ms Butler said she was looking forward to spending more time with family, with a seventh grandchild on the way, and doing more community work.

She said she had run a small campaign without the union backing of other candidates.

Mr Polley congratulated Ms Butler on her time in Parliament.

He was elected for the 12th time, with his time in parliament dating back to 1972 when Eric Reece was premier.