[1][2] The by-election was triggered by the resignation of sitting Nationals MP Adam Marshall, who had held the seat since the 2013.

Northern Tablelands is one of the most conservative seats in NSW, and has been a heartland for the National Party for over a century.

Northern Tablelands mostly overlaps with the equally conservative federal seat of New England, which is also a longstanding National stronghold.

Marshall won 83.8% of the two-party-preferred vote at the 2023 state election, which is equal to a 33.8% margin on the Mackerras pendulum, emphasising that Northern Tablelands can be classified as a very safe seat, and the safest seat for any party in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.

Additionally, excluding by-election results or redistributions, Northern Tablelands is the seventh-safest seat for any party in any Australian state parliament, and the safest outside Western Australia.