He said his defeat was partly due to the Animals Justice Party's decision to preference the Liberal Party ahead of the Greens.

As reported in Thursday's The Canberra Times, Liberal Zed Seselja is expected to be named winner of the ACT's second Senate seat on Tuesday.

The Australian Electoral Commission will distribute preferences that morning and declare the winner in the afternoon.

Mr Sheikh congratulated Labor's Senator Kate Lundy on her re-election and Mr Seselja on his election.

“Our campaign this year has been a demonstration of how grassroots, community engagement can work," he said.

"We doorknocked over 20,000 houses and overwhelmingly we heard the same message – that people are tired of the old parties' race to the bottom and they are looking for alternative vision for Australia.

“The Animals Justice Party's decision to preference the Liberal Party ahead of the Greens has made it incredibly difficult for the Greens to win this Senate seat.

“It has been a privilege over the last year to meet so many members of Canberra's community and hear about what issues matter to Canberra's families this election.

"I will continue to work within our community and campaign for a fairer, more compassionate and more sustainable country.”