Being dumped as prime minister was not enough to push Tony Abbott out of politics.
But a formidable independent challenger has proven his undoing.
After more than 25 years as member for Warringah on Sydney's northern beaches, voters have decided it's time for Mr Abbott to step aside for Olympian and barrister Zali Steggall.
How Mr Abbott has behaved since he was deposed by Malcolm Turnbull in September 2015 might have something to do with that result.
On his way out of the top job, Mr Abbott made a conciliatory commitment.
"There will be no wrecking, no undermining, and no sniping," he said after losing the prime ministership 54 votes to 44.
But it didn't take long until the promise appeared to be unravelling.
By March 2016, he had made his first major policy intervention in the coalition party room, defending the government's 2014 budget and telling his colleagues they needed to continue finding more savings.
The subtext was that if Mr Turnbull and then-treasurer Scott Morrison didn't, MPs would be right to question their leadership.
He continued to be vocal on the government's policy and direction, from submarines to climate change.
He did give Mr Turnbull rare praise in August 2017 for his decision to hold a postal ballot on same-sex marriage.
The survey came back in favour of allowing same-sex couples to marry and it was legalised in short order.
People in Warringah voted 75 per cent in favour but Mr Abbott abstained from the parliamentary vote.
Come July 2018, Mr Abbott was giving his successor another headache by urging the government to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.
The agreement was an element of Mr Turnbull's signature energy and climate policy.
Mr Abbott as leader had agreed to sign Australia up to the Paris deal but now pointed to US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out.
"Withdrawing from the Paris agreement that is driving the National Energy Guarantee would be the best way to keep prices down," he said - a position he reversed during the 2019 election battle.
The appeal highlighted a divide gathering pace in the coalition over energy policy, which eventually paved the way for Mr Turnbull's undoing.
With Peter Dutton circling, Mr Turnbull opened up the leadership in August and survived a challenge from the home affairs minister, who had Mr Abbott's backing.
Ultimately, it was Scott Morrison and not Mr Dutton who emerged victorious from a second challenge within days.
Mr Turnbull had some sharp words for his predecessor on the way out.
"The people who chose - Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott and others who chose - to deliberately attack the government from within, they did so because they wanted to bring the government down."
After being re-endorsed to run in Warringah in 2019, despite grumblings from a vocal minority of local Liberal members, Mr Abbott learnt he would be facing high-profile independent challenger, Ms Steggall.
He hit the campaign trail hard.
"This is going to be the most fiercely contested political territory in the country in this upcoming election," he said in April.
Climate change, transport and immigration were hot issues as the pair went head-to-head in multiple debates.
Activist group GetUp! backed the push to boost Mr Abbott, while new conservative outfit Advance Australia was in his corner, with both forced to apologise during the campaign for controversial ads.
In the end, the community has handed the baton onto Ms Steggall.
But on election night, Mr Abbott had no regrets.
"I'd rather be a loser than a quitter," he told supporters.
