2019 Wexford by-election

A by-election was held in the Dáil Éireann Wexford constituency in Ireland on Friday, 29 November 2019, to fill the vacancy left by the election of Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace to the European Parliament.

2019 Wexford by-election

← 2016 general election 29 November 2019 2020 general election →
Turnout	40,382 (35.3%)
Nominee Malcolm Byrne George Lawlor Verona Murphy Party Fianna Fáil Labour Fine Gael First preferences 12,506 8,024 9,543 Percentage 31.2% 20.0% 23.8% Final count 18,830 14,476 -   Codd Nominee Johnny Mythen Karin Dubsky Jim Codd Party Sinn Féin Green Aontú First preferences 4,125 2,490 2,102 Percentage 10.3% 6.2% 5.2% Final count - - -
Wexford shown within Ireland
TD before election Mick Wallace Inds. 4 Change TD Malcolm Byrne Fianna Fáil

It was held on the same day as three other by-elections in Cork North-Central, Dublin Fingal and Dublin Mid-West.^[1] The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2011 stipulates that a by-election in Ireland must be held within six months of a vacancy occurring.^[2] The by-election writ was moved in the Dáil on 7 November 2019.^[3][4]

At the 2016 general election, the electorate of Wexford was 109,861, and the constituency elected one Labour Party TD, one Fianna Fáil TD, one I4C TD and two Fine Gael TDs.^[5]

The election was won by Wexford County Councillor Malcolm Byrne of Fianna Fáil.^[6] Andrew Bolger was co-opted to Byrne's seat on Wexford County Council following his election to the Dáil.

Three of the candidates were sitting Wexford County Councillors; Malcolm Byrne, Jim Codd and George Lawlor. Johnny Mythen was a former Wexford County Councillor while Melissa O'Neill was a former Kilkenny County Councillor.

This was the first occasion the Irish Freedom Party contested any national election as a registered political party and, alongside Cork North-Central, the first time Aontú contested by-elections.

Byrne subsequently lost his seat at the February 2020 general election. His defeat after only 71 days made him the TD with the second-shortest term of service.^[7] Byrne was subsequently elected to the Seanad in April 2020, with Mythen and Murphy being elected to the Dáil in the 2020 general election.^[8]

Result

2019 Wexford by-election

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5
	Fianna Fáil	Malcolm Byrne	31.2	12,506	12,660	13,082	14,729	18,830
	Fine Gael	Verona Murphy	23.8	9,543	9,620	9,943	10,836
	Labour	George Lawlor	20.0	8,024	8,112	8,517	10,907	14,476
	Sinn Féin	Johnny Mythen	10.3	4,125	4,344	4,665
	Green	Karin Dubsky	6.2	2,490	2,745	3,037
	Aontú	Jim Codd	5.2	2,102	2,395
	People Before Profit	Cinnamon Blackmore	1.6	659
	Irish Freedom	Melissa O'Neill	1.2	489
	Independent	Charlie Keddy	0.3	130
Electorate: 114,483   Valid: 40,068   Spoilt: 314 (0.8%)   Quota: 20,035   Turnout: 40,382 (35.3%)

See also

• List of Dáil by-elections
• Dáil constituencies