SINN Féin Councillor Gary Doherty has today confirmed he intends to seek party approval to contest the forthcoming General Election.
Cllr Doherty’s decision means that, if successfully added to the party ticket, he will be Sinn Féin’s third candidate to contest the election for the newly formed constituency of Donegal, along with sitting deputies, Pádraig MacLochlainn and Pearse Doherty.
“I am truly honoured to today confirm – after a great deal of deep thought and personal reflection – that I have decided to put my name forward as a candidate before party convention to contest the impending general election for the newly formed Donegal constituency,” Cllr Doherty said.
The Castlefin man said his decision to seek election as Sinn Féin’s third candidate in Donegal, a strategy which must first be approved by the party’s Ard Chomhairle, was one of the “biggest decisions” he has ever had to make.
“However, I feel that now is the right time to put my name forward,” he continued.
“In fact, as the election has been drawing ever nearer, and with momentum surrounding the vote building, I have been absolutely humbled and extremely heartened by the enthusiasm of party members, grass root supporters as well as ordinary members of the public who have been actively calling for my inclusion as a potential third candidate ever since the idea was first mooted by the party: With many believing that the time is now right for Sinn Féin to take a seat here in the Finn Valley.”
“For far too long the Finn Valley has been neglected by successive governments and has been largely overlooked and ignored in terms of inward invest and service provision.”
“With all this in mind, I feel that now is the perfect time for a candidate to step forward and stand in complete defiance against the inept and self-serving politics of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour who together, and individually, have dominated public life here for too long.
“All of this, coupled with the huge support and encouragement which I have received from my party colleagues Deputies Pearse Doherty and Pádraig MacLochlainn as well as from the wider party membership, has resulted in my decision today to officially announce that I am now to go before party convention in the coming days to seek my inclusion to the Sinn Féin ticket, subject of course to Ard Chomhairle approval.”
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