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McGuinness previously represented Fine Gael and Ireland in the EU for ten years. Alamy Stock Photo

Mairead McGuinness first to enter Áras race as she's confirmed as Fine Gael's candidate

McGuinness was the only person to contest the party’s nomination.

FORMER EU COMMISSIONER Mairead McGuinness has officially been nominated to contest the Presidential election this year for Fine Gael.

McGuinness, who had been named on a number of occasions in recent weeks as a potential candidate, was the only person to contest the party’s nomination.

McGuinness’s name will now go forward to for ratification at a party event in September, which will mark the start of the Fine Gael presidential election campaign.

Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris said McGuinness has “secured the support of the parliamentary party and the wider Fine Gael organisation”.

Harris said he “looks forward to working with her over the coming months”.

“Presidential elections are always an important point for the country,” said Harris.

“I believe Mairead possess all the attributes to bring our nation together at this important time.”

McGuinness represented Fine Gael and Ireland in the EU for ten years, where she served as a MEP for six years, including a term as a vice president of the European Parliament, and as the European Financial Services Commissioner for four years in that time.

Fine Gael opened its nomination process for anyone seeking the party’s candidacy for the upcoming presidential election earlier last week. Nominations closed at 4pm today.

To be nominated, a candidate needs the nomination of 20 members of the parliamentary party, 25 Fine Gael councillors and five members of the executive council.

It had been expected that a ballot would take place internally, but McGuinness was the only candidate who sought her party’s nomination after MEP Seán Kelly ruled himself out of the race last week.

Harris told The Journal in March that he would’ve preferred that a competition for the candidacy take place.

Party sources had stated that McGuinness was “everywhere” in order to drum up support from inside Fine Gael.

McGuinness was appointed as Ireland’s European Commissioner in 2020, selected to replace Phil Hogan as Ireland’s EU Commissioner, after he resigned from his role as Trade Commissioner in the wake of the Golfgate scandal.

After being elected to the European Parliament first in 2014, the former RTÉ and farming journalist later topped the poll upon her reelection, receiving 134,630 votes.

She previously contested the Fine Gael Presidential nomination in 2011, losing out to former TD and junior minister Gay Mitchell, who had snapped up support from local councillors and the parliamentary party.

Independent Galway West TD Catherine Connolly announced last week that she intends to contest the Presidential election this year, launching her campaign this week. She has already received the backing from a number of left-wing parties.

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