Councillor Gerry Crawford not contesting local election
The Porthall-based Fianna Fáil representative has been a County Councillor since first being elected in 1999, while Patrick McGowan's candidacy was ratified at a convention on Sunday evening
Fianna Fáil Councillor Gerry Crawford has decided not to contest the forthcoming local election.
The Porthall-based Councillor Crawford is stepping away after 25 years serving at the County House in Lifford.
Councillor Patrick McGowan was ratified by the party at a selection convention at the Villa Rose Hotel in Ballybofey on Sunday night.
Councillor McGowan will now go forward to contest his sixth consecutive election in the Lifford-Stranorlar area under the Fianna Fáil banner.
Tributes were paid at the convention to the retiring Councillor Crawford.
He was first elected in 1999 in the Letterkenny area having taken 1,264 first preference votes and retained his seat five years later, claiming 1,717 votes.
Following a rejig of the areas, the retired ambulance driver has been a Councillor in the Stranorlar-Lifford area since.
It is expected the Fianna Fáil Headquarters will announce a second candidate for the area in the coming days.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, Senator Niall Blaney and Pat The Cope Gallagher all attended Sunday's convention.