TWO ON TICKET
FG SELECTS ELECTION CANDIDATES
FORMER TD Gerry Reynolds and Sligo Councillor Sinead Maguire have been selected as the Fine Gael candidates to contest the next General Election in the Sligo Leitrim constituency.
Up to 1000 people turned out for the Fine Gael Selection Convention in the Clayton Hotel in Sligo last Thursday night.
Gerry Reynolds topped the poll with Sinead Maguire coming a close second. John Perry was a strong contender as the count got underway but transfers did not go his way.
It was a long night and the final tally called just before 2am was Gerry Reynolds 295, Sinead Maguire 285 and John Perry 222.
Returning officer for the count was Enda McGloin, Fine Gael Regional Organiser. He confirmed to the Sligo Champion that the directive from Party HQ was to ‘select two candidates.’
“805 delegates who were there on the night voted out of an electorate of 1122. There were two spoiled votes. We used the Seanad PR System with four eliminations on the night. Senator Frank Feighan withdrew his candidacy during his speech,” explained Enda.
“From a Fine Gael perspective we are delighted with the result. It gives us a very strong ticket, a young woman and an experienced businessman who was in politics before,” he said.
Enda added: “Sinead Maguire was unexpected. She is only a short time in politics but her campaign was really excellent. She obviously won the hearts of the electorate by her personal campaign. And she was able to attract transfers on the night.
“Gerry Reynolds was so close the last time around. In 2016 he was just 400 shy of taking the second seat.
“We have a balanced ticket, two candidates strategically placed, gender balance and on that point we are the only main political party presenting a female candidate in the constituency. We are giving the electorate and our voters a strong option.”
Geographically the party has also got it right with one strong candidate in Leitrim and one in Sligo.
Chairman of proceedings on the night was Minister of State for housing Damien English. He was met with an ‘electric atmosphere’ as up to a thousand people packed into the Clayton Hotel for the event.
As Enda said: “It was a great night with so many people staying on until 2am to hear the final count.”
It was a difficult decision for Councillor Sinead Maguire to run in the first place. As a mother to two young children she has concerns about the massive commitment involved in becoming a member of Dáil Eireann. But clearly delighted at her victory, she told The Sligo Champion: “It is a real honour and a privilege to have been selected particularly as I won at convention with no gender quota directive and I hope now to get elected to represent the people.”