ELECTION 2022: South Antrim – Sinn Fein’s all-Ireland chairman Declan Kearney trounces all to seize seat

Declan Kearney, the national chairman of Sinn Fein, has far outstripped all rivals to take the biggest slice of electoral pie in South Antrim.
By Adam Kula
Published 6th May 2022, 17:22 BST
Updated 12th May 2022, 14:51 BST
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 6th May 2022 - Northern Ireland Assembly Election Count at Ulster University, Jordanstown Sinn Feins Declan Kearney who has made the required amount of votes at the first count. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye.Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 6th May 2022 - Northern Ireland Assembly Election Count at Ulster University, Jordanstown Sinn Feins Declan Kearney who has made the required amount of votes at the first count. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 6th May 2022 - Northern Ireland Assembly Election Count at Ulster University, Jordanstown Sinn Feins Declan Kearney who has made the required amount of votes at the first count. Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye.

He easily reached the 7,623 quota with 9,185 first preference votes.

Mr Kearney – who is the cousin of dissident victim Peadar Heffron, maimed in a 2010 bomb attack – has previously scored well in the area.

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He took 6,891 first preference ballot papers in 2017, with Steve Aiken of the UUP coming runner-up with 6,287.

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ELECTION 2022

This time around Mr Kearney’s surge put him nearly 2,000 votes clear of anyone else.

The other results are as follows:

John Blair, Alliance: 7,315

Pam Cameron, DUP: 6,899

Steve Aiken, UUP: 5,354

Trevor Clarke, DUP: 4,943

Mel Lucas, TUV: 4,371

Roisin Lynch, SDLP: 3,139

Paul Michael, UUP: 2,821

Roisin Bennett, Aontu: 657

Veronica Lesley, Green: 539

Jerry Maguire, PBP, 251

Andrew Moran, Ind., 262

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Related topics:Declan KearneySinn FeinIrelandUUPSteve Aiken