The Xenophon phenomenon is set to loom large over the coming State election with candidates telling InDaily they will be running with the support of the popular Senator.

Nick Xenophon polled more than 25 per cent of the Senate vote in last Saturday’s federal election.

The record vote for an independent is most likely to result in the ALP being reduced to one Senator out of the six spots available.

And that’s the beginning of a headache for the party that once treated Xenophon with disdain.

Xenophon Group MLC John Darley told InDaily he will run again in the March 2014 state election and Port Adelaide mayor Gary Johanson confirmed he will run as an independent with Xenophon’s support.

Johanson is listed in parliamentary records as a donor to the Xenophon Group re-election fund.

That fund is set to be boosted by more than $500,000 under federal election funding laws that reimburses candidates $2.48 per House of Representatives and Senate vote.

Johanson ran as an independent in the recent Port Adelaide  by-election, losing in a two-party preferred result of 52.9 per cent to 47.1.

“He’s a very good man and he’s got thousands of supporters,” Johanson told InDaily.

“I recently took him down to the swap-meet at Globe Derby where he got a lot of exposure.

“He knows what issues matter to ordinary people- people that feel they don’t get a voice with the major parties.

“Here in the Port the Labor Party in particular has taken voters for granted.”

Johanson pointed to a recent gathering of classic car collectors where Xenophon was able to make a connection.

“These are people who wanted to get their left-hand-drive cars collected but couldn’t get past the bureaucracy and couldn’t get the ear of the major parties,” he said.

“Nick met with them, went for a drive with them and next thing you know it’s on Channel Seven  and we’re getting a reaction.

“The Labor Party have treated car enthusiasts with disdain and that may cost them a seat.”

For his own part, Xenophon is more than happy to dip his toe into the State election waters.

“If Gary Johanson wants to run I’ll sit down with him and have a talk about how I might be able to help,” he told InDaily.

Another possible wild card is Stirling Griff, the retail consultant who became Xenophon’s campaign manager and then running mate for the federal poll.

Griff is a former chief executive of the Australian Retailers Association, SA branch.

He has helped bring small business owners into the Xenophon camp, along with their army of volunteers.

“Stirling has been a great contributor to South Australia already,” Xenophon said Tuesday.

“He was instrumental in getting the relaxation of Sunday trading hours and creating more than 9000 jobs.

“He’s an advocate of the need to pull back penalty rates where a business employs less than 20 people.”

When asked if Griff would have a tilt at State politics, Xenophon said they would wait until the final count in this election.

“I’ve already asked him to run in the Senate election of 2016 if he misses out or in any double dissolution; but if he wants to run in State politics than I’d support that.”

Adelaide University head of politics Professor Clem Macintyre said the Xenophon influence would add to the ALP’s already difficult task of retaining power in South Australia.

“If you draw anything from the federal result, it’s that the State opposition did better than the State Government and if Nick takes a role than that adds even further to their difficulties,” he said.

Macintyre agreed that Johanson was a winning prospect, adding that he could choose between two seats.

“Sure, he did well in Port Adelaide, but he might want to look at the state seat of Lee which has more of his Port constituency in it.

“Lee needs a seven per cent swing, but the incumbent Michael Wright is retiring.”

Macintyre said its also possible that the massive Xenophon vote will “embolden” some other contenders.

“It’s a headache the major parties don’t need, but may face.”

Nick Xenophon’s political career began in 1998 when he turned a 2.9 per cent primary vote into an 8.5 per cent Upper House quota in the state parliament and has built his profile and his influence in the years since.

In the 2006 state election he polled 20.1 per cent of the Upper House vote and brought running partner Anne Bressington into the parliament with him.

A year and a half later he turned his eye to Canberra and stood for the Senate, leaving room for the third person on his 200 state ticket, John Darley, to fill the casual vacancy.

In that election he polled 14.8 per cent, and took a seat in the Senate.

Last weekend he almost doubled that with a whopping 25 per cent, falling just short of a second quota after Labor and the Greens adjusted their preferences to cut him out.

With a raft of micro-party representatives expected to also win seats, the Xenophon influence will widen.

“I can work with anyone and will be making sure they get a better welcome than I did when I started in politics,” he said.

“Some people treated me with disdain; I’ll be far more respectful of these guys as they start their term.”