Mitchell tended to be a marginal Labor-held seat. While Colin Caudell succeeded in winning the seat for the Liberal Party for the first time at the 1993 election, he was narrowly defeated by Kris Hanna at the 1997 election. Hanna markedly increased his majority at the 2002 election, but defected to the SA Greens in 2003. He subsequently left the Greens in February 2006, and won his seat at the 2006 election narrowly as an independent candidate on a 50.6 two-candidate vote, though Labor got a 65.2 percent two-party vote against the Liberals. Hanna failed in his attempts to retain the seat at the 2010 election, losing to Labor candidate Alan Sibbons. Hanna unsuccessfully contested the seat at the 2014 election. Liberal Corey Wingard won the seat with a 51.2 percent two-party vote which made it the most marginal seat in parliament. It was the first time Labor was in government with the Liberals winning Mitchell.
At the 2018 state election, Wingard chose to contest the seat of Gibson, and was successful;[2] and the seat of Black was won by David Speirs, the former member for Bright;[3] both members of the Liberal Party.