The Jim Gavin Exits from Ireland's Election Campaign

With an unexpected announcement, a key primary hopefuls in the Irish race for president has withdrawn from the contest, upending the political landscape.

Withdrawal Announcement Transforms Campaign Landscape

The party's Jim Gavin withdrew on the evening of Sunday following reports about an financial obligation to a past renter, converting the race into an uncertain two-horse race between a moderate right past cabinet member and an autonomous progressive member of parliament.

The 54-year-old Gavin, a newcomer to politics who was parachuted into the race after professional experiences in athletics, flying and armed forces, quit after it emerged he had not repaid a rent overpayment of 3,300 euros when he was a lessor about in the mid-2000s, during a period of economic hardship.

"I committed an error that was inconsistent with who I am and the standards I set myself. Corrective actions are underway," he said. "After careful consideration, about the potential impact of the ongoing campaign on the wellbeing of my family and friends.

"After evaluating everything, I've chosen to exit from the race for the presidency with immediate effect and rejoin my loved ones."

Contest Reduced to Primary Hopefuls

The most dramatic event in a presidential campaign in living memory limited the options to Heather Humphreys, a past government official who is campaigning for the governing moderate right Fine Gael party, and Catherine Connolly, an outspoken pro-Palestinian voice who is backed by Sinn Féin and small leftwing opposition parties.

Crisis for Leadership

Gavin's exit also triggered a crisis for the taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, who had put his reputation on the line by choosing an unproven contender over the reservations of party colleagues.

He commented Gavin did not want to "bring controversy" to the office of president and was justified in leaving. "Jim has accepted that he committed a mistake in relation to an matter that has emerged recently."

Campaign Struggles

Even with a track record of competence and success in business and sport – he guided Dublin's Gaelic football team to multiple successive wins – his campaign had stumbled through blunders that left him trailing in an opinion poll even prior to the financial revelation.

Individuals within Fianna Fáil who had been against choosing the candidate said the fiasco was a "serious miscalculation" that would have "consequences" – a thinly veiled warning to the leader.

Voting System

Gavin's name may remain on the ballot in the poll taking place in late October, which will end the 14-year tenure of the current president, but people must choose between a dichotomy between a traditional center candidate and an autonomous progressive. A poll taken before his departure gave Connolly 32% support and 23 percent for Humphreys, with the former candidate at 15 percent.

Under electoral rules, people pick contenders based on preference. If no candidate exceeds 50% on the first count, the hopeful with the fewest primary selections is eliminated and their ballots are redistributed to the following option.

Possible Ballot Shifts

Observers anticipated that if Gavin was eliminated, the bulk of his support would go to Humphreys, and the other way around, boosting the chance that a pro-government candidate would win the presidential office for the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition.

Function of the President

The role of president is a mostly representative role but the current and former presidents made it a platform on global issues.

Surviving Hopefuls

Connolly, 68, from her home city, would introduce a robust progressive perspective to that tradition. Connolly has attacked free-market policies and said the group represents "part of the fabric" of the Palestinian people. She has accused Nato of militarism and compared Berlin's enhanced defense expenditure to the 1930s, when Germany underwent rearmament.

The 62-year-old Humphreys, has encountered examination over her record as a minister in governments that presided over a housing crisis. A Presbyterian from the border county of Monaghan, she has also been criticised over her lack of Irish language skills but stated her religious background could help win over unionist community in a united Ireland.