Laois Sinn Féin woman signs up for General Election battle with former comrade
Sinn Féin candidates promises to put heart and soul in to retaining seat
Maria McCormack has signed the paperwork to make it official as she aims to retain a seat for Sinn Féin in the upcoming General election.
Ms McCormack insists Sinn Féin cannot be written off in their bid to retain a seat which was lost to the party due to the resignation from the party of Brian Stanley TD.
"Its all to play for in the coming days, and I will put my heart and soul into it", she said on signing the paper work in Portlaoise Court witnessed by the Returning Officer Rory Hanniffy.
Ms McCormack, who is one ten candidates, is bidding to become the first female TD in Laois. There are five women and five men in the race to win three seats in the new Dáil constituency.
Pictured: Maria McCormack with her director of elections and Sinn Féin Laois secretary Aaron Kelly in a meeting with Returning Officer Rory Hanniffy.
She was selected in the presence of her party leader Mary Lou McDonald in the week the General Election was called. Ms McCormack is among those battling to unseat her former Sinn Féin colleague Brian Stanley who remains a bookies favourite to be sent back to the Dáil by Laois voters.
Mr Stanley supported Ms McCormack in her bid to win a seat on Laois County Council in the June local elections when both were still in Sinn Féin.