David Sheldon was elected as a Liberal Democrat in Denne ward in 2011, the year when this seat was last up for election, he resigned from the party in 2014.[2]
Former Horsham Football Club manager, Gary Charman, stood as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Southwater following the council rejecting the football clubs planning application for a stadium at Hop Oast.[3] The location of the ground falls into the Southwater ward and was opposed by the Conservative councillors representing the ward at the time. A different application at the same location was approved in 2017.[4]