Maria Steen Falls Just Two Votes Short of Presidential Nomination

URGENT UPDATE: Presidential hopeful Maria Steen is only TWO votes away from securing her nomination for the upcoming Presidential election, with a critical deadline looming at noon tomorrow. As it stands, she has garnered 18 nominations from key political figures, but she needs 20 to secure her place on the ballot.

Steen’s campaign gained significant traction this week after Government Minister Michael Healy Rae publicly announced his support, stating he would nominate her to provide voters with more options, despite indicating he would vote for Heather Humphreys of Fine Gael. Currently, only three candidates— Jim Gavin from Fianna Fail, Heather Humphreys, and Catherine Connolly from the united left—have met the nomination threshold.

Local councils have not nominated any candidates, meaning the pressure is on hopefuls like Steen to secure support from at least 20 members of the Oireachtas, which includes TDs and Senators. Despite the backing of three Aontu members and four Independent Ireland TDs, Steen’s path to nomination is fraught with challenges.

Throughout the day, Steen has been actively campaigning and engaging with lawmakers, but many independent TDs and Senators have not budged in their support. The deadline is fast approaching, and Steen risks falling just short of her goal, potentially missing out on the chance to compete in the election set for October 24.

Meanwhile, Connolly’s campaign has faced complications following controversial remarks regarding the Palestinian group Hamas. In a recent BBC interview, Connolly stated that Hamas is “part of the fabric of Palestinian people,” sparking backlash from political opponents, including Taoiseach Micheal Martin and rival candidate Jim Gavin. They criticized her for failing to unequivocally condemn the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people in Israel.

In response to the uproar, Connolly attempted to clarify her comments during an interview on RTE’s Morning Ireland, stating, “Let me just say, Hamas I’ve utterly condemned over and over. I’ve never been equivocal about it in their attack on the 7th of October.” However, her remarks about Hamas being part of Palestinian civil society have left many questioning her position.

As the clock ticks down to the nomination deadline, all eyes are on Steen to see if she can secure the last-minute support needed to make it onto the ballot. A series of key TV debates are anticipated in the weeks leading up to the election, adding further urgency to the nominations process.

With the stakes high and public interest surging, both candidates must navigate these turbulent waters as they seek to rally support in a polarized political landscape. Voters are urged to stay tuned for the latest developments in this rapidly evolving election race.