![Mike Baird celebrates election victory with his family. Photo: Shu Yeung Mike Baird celebrates election victory with his family. Photo: Shu Yeung](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/b88054f5-873f-42db-9e4b-505c665033b1.jpg/r0_0_729_410_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mike Baird regained control of NSW saying he had defeated the "biggest scare campaign in the state's history" but the Coalition would be back in four years to regain seats lost to Labor.
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"Friends, I love this state ... tonight they have chosen hope over fear. We sought a mandate to make NSW great and tonight the people of NSW have given us that mandate," he said.
He said that despite Labor's scare campaign over the privatisation of the power industry "we have achieved tonight some swings to us".
Mr Baird said his opponent, Labor leader Luke Foley, had been a "tough opponent" but gracious.
He also acknowledged the Prime Minister in his speech to about 300 people at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Hotel.
"Tony Abbott understood the need to put more funds into NSW," he said.
With his wife, Kerryn, and three children, Mr Baird entered the hotel ballroom about 9.42pm as the crowd chanted "four more years, four more years".
Three generations of Bairds watched the Premier make his victory speech.
In 2011 the Liberals staged their victory celebration at Parramatta Leagues Club, partly in expectation of thanking western Sydney for changing horses.
But having taken as much of the west as they could, the Liberals returned to tradition on Saturday night and celebrated at the Sofitel.
The site of so much Liberal history, the hotel ballroom hosted the delirium of Mr Abbott's 2013 victory and the ignominy of John Howard's 2007 defeat.
Opinion polls suggested a stroll to victory and the Liberals certainly anticipated a comfortable win and rolled out the barrel.
The Sofitel ballroom was suffused in Liberal blue lighting with two large screens featuring six photographs of the Premier around words of welcome to the party faithful: "Thank you for Backing Baird."
Just after 8pm, as various television commentary teams starting to call the election for Mr Baird, the room started to fill with excited supporters.
One noticeable absence was Mr Abbott. The Prime Minister was in Tasmania.
Labor had painted NSW election as a chance to get rid of Mr Abbott.
Attempting to capitalise on Mr Abbott's ongoing gaffes, Labor said he would be locked away during the NSW election.
It was not to be. The PM appeared at least twice during the campaign, including at the Liberal launch last Sunday, where he sat in the front row but did not speak.
On Saturday night, as Mr Baird waited on hs entrance, party elders, including the Premier's father Bruce Baird, Nick Greiner, Julie Bishop and Philip Ruddock arrived to celebrate the victory.
Former leaders Kerry Chikarovski and John Fahey were commentating for television.
Soon after 9pm, as word got out in the ballroom that Labor leader Luke Foley had phoned the Premier and conceded defeat, younger supporters started singing "Na-na-na-na. hey hey, goodbye" as a victory song.
Just before polls closed at 6pm, sportsbet.com.au had Mr Baird at $1.001 to win and Mr Foley on $26. The bookmaker also paid $7 on the Premier delivering his victory speech between 9.31pm and 10pm.
When the Bairds left, U2's Beautiful Day drifted from the speakers.