Mayor Mike Cubbard has confirmed he wants to run in the Galway West by-election, but is biding his time for a formal declaration.
Meanwhile, Senator Seán Kyne confirmed this week he will seek the Fine Gael nomination after several weeks of refusing to publicly commit.
“I have the experience, an established full-time office in Moycullen and a proven track record of delivery, effort and commitment,” said Kyne, currently the leader of the Seanad, and formerly a TD, government Chief Whip, and minister of state in a number of departments.
His party colleague, city councillor Eddie Hoare, an accountant and former county footballer, will also contest the Fine Gael ticket. A selection convention is scheduled for Sunday, February, 22.
Speaking to the Advertiser, Hoare’s fellow city councillor, Mayor Cubbard (Ind ), said: “It is more than likely that I will be contesting the seat at the by-election.”
Cubbard explained that as an independent candidate “with no party to bank-roll me” he is still consulting with his supporters, friends and family about what may be his fourth tilt for the Dáil in 15 years. He said he is also conscious he has committed to the busy role of mayor for a year “which is important to me.”
Once the by-election is called – with polling now expected on Friday, May 22 – Cubbard said a short, eight week campaign is his preference.
He described his politics as “Galway-first” in response to a question about whether he would vote for the government as a TD.
“If what they were doing was good for Galway, then yes,” he said. “People are frustrated by the left v right labelling. My politics are just ‘common sense’. My moral compass is probably centre-left, working class, ‘Old Labour,’ but not the Labour party that contemplated water charges,” he said.
Cubbard said he was not a member of Tonn na Clé, the activist group spearheading a left-wing voting alliance in Galway West, but that he had been lobbied by them, and agreed with many of their principles.
So far, the declared by-election candidates are Councillor Noel Thomas (II ), Niall Murphy (GP ), Sheila Garrity (Ind ), Councillor Thomas Welby (Ind ), Councillor Helen Ogbu (Lab ), Orla Nugent (Au ), and Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich (SD ).
