Labour has chosen its candidates for Galway East and Galway West, but there is a strong likelihood that they could be joined by new running mates over the coming weeks.
In mid-November, city councillor Derek Nolan was chosen to replace Dep Michael D Higgins as the Labour candidate in Galway West, while this week the party’s sole county councillor, Colm Keaveney, will run in Galway East.
However Labour could end up fielding four candidates across the county’s two constituencies before the election takes place in late February/early March.
Labour sources indicate that Mr Keaveney could be joined on the ticket by a running mate. There is speculation that it could be Lorraine Higgins, an Athenry-based barrister who ran as an independent candidate in the 2009 Local Elections.
Regarding Galway West, Labour has not taken any decision yet as to whether it will add a second candidate here. The party is understood to be holding off on any decision until more opinion polls are taken in the constituency.
If the polls show that Cllr Nolan is not doing as well as the party hopes, a second candidate will have to be added in order to shore up the vote and prevent Labour losing the seat it has held since 1987.
There was speculation this week that a possible second candidate for Galway West may be Ann Costello from Knocknacarra. Labour sources have described her as “popular and articulate”, but say that at this point no names are being considered and there is no need yet for a second candidate.
The reason the party would consider running extra candidates is that it is hoping to make gains across Connacht, normally a wasteland for the party, if it hopes to make significant gains in Election 2011
