UPPER BANN
THE Westminster contest in Upper Bann has been dominated by confirmation that sitting MP David Simpson will not defend the seat.
The DUP politician revealed earlier this month he would not fight for the seat he won from former UUP leader David Trimble in 2005.
His decision to step aside came after it emerged last year he had had an affair with a party colleague.
His DUP replacement Carla Lockhart, who is a sitting councillor at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, will be viewed as the hot favourite to retake the seat.
In 2017 Mr Simpson grabbed 22,317 votes leaving Ms Lockhart with a majority of 7,992 to defend.
Whether the affair scandal has done any damage to the DUP brand remains to be seen.
Ms Lockhart has been the target of personal abuse on social media in the past and has spoken out on the subject.
In 2017 Mr Simpson’s nearest rival was Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, who polled 14,325 votes.
The prominent republican comes to the Westminster race fresh from his failed challenge to replace Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill.
Although that contest was low-key Mr O’Dowd managed to pick up around a third of votes cast by delegates at the recent Sinn Féin ard fheis.
The long-serving republican will want to reaffirm his role in north Armagh with a strong return on December 12.
Former SDLP deputy leader Dolores Kelly will take up the mantle for her party.
The veteran politician sat out the last Westminster contest and her party colleague Declan McAlinden claimed 4,397 votes.
Mrs Kelly will be keen to hold that ground or even add to the tally.
However the main challenge for Ms Lockhart within unionism will come from the UUPs Doug Beattie.
A former British soldier, the assembly member enjoys a high profile in local politics.
In 2017 he polled 7,900 votes, a 12.5% drop on the party’s 2015 outing when Joanne Dobson secured 13,166 votes.
But he will be determined to stop the slide and begin his party’s fightback in an area that was once dominated by the UUP.
Alliance Party runner Éoin Tennyson has the job of trying to hold a return of 2,319 votes by Tara Doyle in the 2017 Westminster election. The youthful rising star is currently sits on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.
CANDIDATES:
Doug Beattie (UUP)
Dolores Kelly (SDLP)
Carla Lockhart (DUP)
John O’Dowd (SF)
Éoin Tennyson (ALL)
Electorate: 80,168
Majority: 7,992
2017 share of vote:
DUP - 43.5%
SF- 27.9%
UUP - 15.4%
SDLP - 8.6%
ALL - 4.5%
