Simon Harris' pre-dawn offensive removed potential rivals before breakfast
Simon Harris looks to be the only candidate to succeed Leo Varadkar. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Leo Varadkar made Fine Gael the party for those who get up early in the morning — his successor will be known as the man who launched a pre-dawn offensive that all but removed his rivals before breakfast.
Almost immediately after Mr Varadkar's shock departure announcement, the Simon Harris team began hitting the phones and finalising the choreography of a plan that undoubtedly must have been in the works for quite some time.
On Wednesday night, Young Fine Gael, the party's youth wing, was contacted directly by Mr Harris and just after midnight the first in a succession of dominoes fell in the minister's direction when current YFG president Eoin Gallagher posted his support online.
"He has been a great friend to both me and @yfg, and would make a great leaders of Fine Gael & Taoiseach," Gallagher posted on X with a picture.
With the first part of the machine set in motion, Mr Harris' key adviser Sarah Bardon left Leinster House at about 1am, but was back at her desk by 7am when the first members of the parliamentary party began making public announcements in support of the Minister for Higher Education.
Mr Harris has never been shy about his political ambitions and had a line of TDs, senators and MEPs waiting to come out in support when the time eventually arrived.
It was no coincidence the first group out to endorse Harris on Thursday morning contained an even spread of geography, seniority and gender.
Dublin senator Barry Ward was first out and was quickly followed by minister of state Neale Richmond who appeared on RTÉ's after 8am. Fellow junior minister Peter Burke voiced his support not long after.
A quick succession of members including Frankie Feighan in the northwest, Martin Conway in Clare, senator Tim Lombard in Cork, and Brendan Griffin in Kerry all made it clear Mr Harris was also their man.
"Seeing Simon in action, this is a politician who connects with people. We need someone who can connect across generations, driving us all forward as one. Simon Harris is that man," Mr Lombard said, adding to the glowing endorsements that were growing in number by the minute.
Just before 9am, MEP Frances Fitzgerald, who acted as a key mentor to the Wicklow TD, endorsed Harris. Adding to the female vote of confidence was fellow MEP Maria Walsh.
By 10am, when nominations officially opened, Mr Harris had the backing of 15 members and counting. At lunchtime, journalists had almost stopped recording the tally as Mr Harris had multiples of the nomination quota of six. He had also gone over the magic 20 figure, generally deemed as an unassailable level of support from within the parliamentary party.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee exited the field, appearing on her local radio station LMFM to rule herself out.
By lunchtime, any potential race was over when both Paschal Donohoe and Heather Humphreys ruled themselves out of a leadership race.
“I discussed it at length with my family and I have reached the decision that I will not be putting my name forward as leader of Fine Gael, but I will be giving my full support to Simon Harris,” Ms Humphreys said.
Mr Harris will now likely spend the coming two weeks on a grand tour of the country, with town-hall style events scheduled for Cork, the midlands and Dublin before the ard fheis in Galway.
He knows he will have to gain the seal of approval from the grassroots to shake off any notion that this is simply a coronation from within the parliamentary party, before he is crowned Taoiseach on April 9.
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