Ulster Unionists announce assembly election candidates
The Ulster Unionists have selected their candidates for next year’s assembly election in all but one of the eighteen constituencies.
Just three of the 29 names put forward are women.
Sandra Overend will contest a seat in Mid Ulster. Leslie McCaulay will run in East Londonderry and Jo-Anne Dobson in Upper Bann.
The party’s former leader Reg Empey, whose peerage was announced last week, is to stand again in East Belfast.
Health Minister Michael McGimpsey will run in South Belfast. Basil McCrea, who lost out on the party leadership earlier this year, will stand in Lagan Valley.
Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday, party leader Tom Elliott said: “I believe that this slate of candidates offers the electorate a blend of youth and experience, comprising as it does a combination of new faces and existing Assembly members.
“I am very confident that they will prove themselves worthy of the support of the people of Northern Ireland in May of next year.”
Candidates running in the Foyle constituency have not yet been selected.
The list of candidates are as follows
- North Antrim: Bill Kennedy, Robin Swann
- East Antrim: Roy Beggs (Jnr), Rodney McCune
- South Antrim: Danny Kinahan, Adrian Watson
- North Belfast: Fred Cobain
- West Belfast: Bill Manwarring
- South Belfast: Mark Finlay, Michael McGimpsey
- East Belfast: Reg Empey, Tim Lemon
- North Down: Colin Breen, Leslie Cree
- Strangford: David McNarry, Mike Nesbitt
- South Down: John McCallister
- Newry & Armagh: Danny Kennedy
- Lagan Valley: Mark Hill, Basil McCrea
- Upper Bann: Jo-Anne Dobson, Sam Gardiner, Colin McCusker
- Fermanagh & South Tyrone: Kenny Donaldson Tom Elliott
- Mid Ulster: Sandra Overend
- West Tyrone: Ross Hussey
- East Londonderry: David Harding, Lesley Macaulay
- Foyle: Still to select
