Coalisland candidates nominated for elections

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ELECTION fever is to hit Coalisland as candidates for both the Stormont Assembly and Dungannon Council scramble for your votes.

Voting for both the Assembly elections and Dungannon Council will take place on Thursday May 5 2011 ­– on the same date as the Westminster referendum.

And Coalisland will be a hive of political posturing as ten of the candidates across the elections hail from the area.

A total of 13 candidates will be canvassing for the six available Mid Ulster seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

UUP’s Billy Armstrong is the only current MLA within the constituency who is not contesting his seat and is replaced at the ballot box by Sandra Overend.

Sinn Féin have fielded four candidates, including Coalisland’s Michelle O’Neill and Francie Molloy, in the hope of improving their three-seat win in 2007.

The SDLP will also be hoping for an extra seat, putting forward Austin Kelly alongside the long-standing Patsy McGlone. Ian McCrea will contest his seat as the only DUP candidate.

The four other candidates for the constituency are TUV’s Walter Millar, Harry Hutchinson of Profit Before People, and independents Garry McCann and Hugh McCloy.

The six Dungannon Council seats available in our electoral area, Torrent, will be fought for between nine candidates.

SDLP’s Jim Cavanagh, Dessie Donnelly and Mickey Gillespie of Sinn Féin, and the UUP’s Kenneth Reid will again contest their seats.

Sinn Féin have put forward two new candidates – Coalisland man Joe O’Neill and Clonoe’s Pádraig Quinn – in place of Francie Molloy and Michelle O’Neill, who are stepping down from the Council.

Johnny Chartres will canvas on behalf of the DUP, while Patricia Campbell, of Derrytresk, and James Walshe, of Annaghmore, will stand as independents.

The Coalisland Post will be following the candidates throughout the election. If you would like to get involved with our election coverage, email [email protected] for more details.