I’ll be back, says big-spending election candidate

A LOCAL election candidate who spent close to €13,000 on his last campaign says he has not been put off politics after failing to win a seat.

Now Waterford architect Oliver Dempsey is already building up his campaign for the next local elections, and the independent is confident he can win a seat next time around.

“It was suggested that I polled poorly, despite spending twice the amount spent by most candidates on election expenses. I would like to dispel this notion.

“It was my first foray into politics; my campaign lasted six weeks and I ran as an independent without the support available from a political party election machine.

“Out of a valid poll of 4,433 in ward one, experienced candidates such as Pat Power, three times Fianna Fáil mayor, got 7.5% of the vote. Twice mayor and sitting Progressive Democrat councillor Oliver Clery got 4.9%. Twice councillor Billy McCarthy got 2.5%.

“Yet for the first time out and an unknown voice, I got 7% of the vote, or 265 first preferences. No experienced follower of local political form in Waterford would describe this result as poor polling.

“The result only served to make me more determined to win a seat next time out as ward one independent councillor,” he said.

In fact, three of the top five spenders in Waterford county in the June electoral campaign last year did not get elected.

Meanwhile, in Lismore, Co Waterford, two other candidates, who submitted electoral expenses of just over €50 between them, did manage to secure a seat.

John Campion, an Independent in Lismore, spent just €22 on his campaign, while John Henehan’s cost only €35.