Longford's 'See Her Elected' urges political parties to use "golden opportunity"

See Her Elected (SHE), a programme under Longford Women’s Link, is calling on political parties to seize the opportunity presented by upcoming general and Seanad elections to increase female representation in local councils through the co-option process.

New research and analysis of the 2024 local election results from See Her Elected demonstrate a substantial electoral advantage for incumbent candidates, regardless of gender. This has significant implications for gender representation, particularly given the existing under-representation of women in local government.

See Her Elected’s Programme Manager, Dr Michelle Maher who undertook the recent research suggests that co-option processes, used to fill council vacancies, offer a ‘golden opportunity’ to improve gender balance. Dr Maher said that by prioritising gender equity during co-option, parties can increase the number of female councillors and provide them with the incumbency advantage needed to boost their chances in future elections.

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The research finds that incumbents, regardless of their gender or whether they were elected or co-opted, are significantly more likely to be re-elected than new candidates. The research highlights that while co-opted councillors lack the experience of a traditional election campaign, they still benefit from increased name recognition and positive associations with their role. The advantage of incumbency stems from several factors, including name recognition, established networks, and a track record of community engagement.

While incumbency advantage benefits both men and women equally, it presents a challenge for increasing female representation given the pre-existing gender imbalance in local government. The over-representation of men in incumbent positions means that the majority of seats won by incumbents continue to go to men.

Key findings from See Her Elected’s Research

• Significant incumbency advantage: In the 2024 Irish local elections, 85% (684) of incumbent candidates were re-elected, securing 72% of council seats. This advantage held true for both male and female incumbents. This success rate was consistent across genders, with 86% of female incumbents and 88% of male incumbents who ran to retain their seats being re-elected.

• Incumbency trumps gender: Voters appear to prioritise incumbency over gender. This success rate was consistent across genders, with 86% of female incumbents and 88% of male incumbents who ran to retain their seats being re-elected. This suggests that voters prioritise incumbency over gender when making their choices.

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• Co-option as a solution: The co-option process, used to fill council vacancies mid-term, presents an opportunity to improve gender balance. Parties can leverage co-option to appoint more women, giving them the advantage of incumbency in future elections. In the 2024 elections, 68% of co-opted councillors who ran were successfully elected, significantly outperforming new candidates with a 19% success rate. This highlights that even a shorter period in office can provide a substantial electoral boost.

• Call to action: SHE emphasises that the upcoming co-options following the general and Seanad elections present a golden opportunity for political parties to increase female representation in local councils. This will not only boost immediate female representation but also enhance the chances of these women in the 2029 local elections. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the two largest parties, are urged to actively recruit and support more female candidates, utilising co-option to increase the number of women in local government.

Dr Michelle Maher said that female candidates are increasingly met “with a wall of men” getting re-elected over successive local election cycles. Dr Maher highlighted the fact that the same male incumbents had been re-elected in Castleisland, Co Kerry; Borris-in-Ossory, Co Laois and Killaloe in Co Clare over a number of election cycles.

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Dr Maher said that the upcoming general and Seanad elections provided a ‘golden opportunity’ for change: “Political parties talk a good talk about supporting women in politics, but now is the time to walk the walk. The co-option process is a real and immediate opportunity to demonstrate commitment to gender equity in local government."