A leadership spill for the Republic Party of Wiltshire was held on 17 January 3026 following the party's defeat at the 3026 general election. The incumbent leader, ousted prime minister Audrick Hill, was challenged by republican nationalist Gordon Teal, as well as former liberal leader Kirk Ashford. Hill defeated Teal on the second ballot by a single vote, signalling a weakness in his command of the opposition republican caucus.
The spill was called by Teal over his concerns that Audrick Hill's ambition was blinding him to encroaching progressivism. Furthermore, Teal favoured a return to the divided opposition that existed back in the civil war era, where a conservative republican party and a liberal republican party would unite in an electoral union. Hill opposed this, calling the united Republican party a core element of their strategy to return to government. Seeing an opportunity to return to party leadership, former liberal leader Kirk Ashford mounted a bid. He did, however, fail to gain the support of many of his liberal colleagues, who mostly backed Audrick Hill.
Results
| Candidate | Home city | First round | Second round | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audrick Hill | Washington | 10 | 40% | 13 | 52% |
| Gordon Teal | Arches | 11 | 44% | 12 | 48% |
| Kirk Ashford | Juneville | 4 | 16% | Eliminated | |
| Total | 25 | 100% | 25 | 100% | |
Following the result, Hill invited Teal to join his shadow cabinet. Teal refused the offer, opting instead to remain on the backbenches. Ashford was widely shunned by the leadership, as his candidacy was seen as a spoiler for Hill on the first ballot. His losing to Teal on the first ballot created the perception of a significant weakness. Ashford's own brother, Aaron, refused to back him, instead supporting Hill. Kirk Ashford was shortly thereafter expelled from the republican caucus later in 3026 for disloyalty and plotting against Audrick Hill.