Gerry Hutch Finishes Fourth in Dublin By-Election With 11.3% as Social Democrats Take Seat
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 24
Gerry Hutch Finishes Fourth in Dublin By-Election With 11.3% as Social Democrats Take Seat
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 24
Gerry "the monk" Hutch won 2,817 first-preference votes in Dublin Central—11.3% of the total—and finished fourth after transfers lifted him to 4,466, ending his bid for a parliamentary seat.
Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats won with 12,050 votes in the final count, ahead of Sinn Féin's Janice Boylan on 7,787 and the Greens' Janet Horner on 5,452.
Hutch ran as an independent on a hardline anti-immigration platform, including calls to intern "illegal immigrants" in camps, and establishment candidates had feared his notoriety could produce an upset.
The result was seen as a boost for progressive politics in a contest shaped by living costs, immigration and housing strains, while also reviving questions over Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald's standing after another by-election setback.
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