Former Fine Gael TD and Junior minister John Perry is set to contest his party's selection convention for the general election in Sligo-Leitrim. The Ballymote man was first elected to the Dáil in 1997 and served as a TD for 19 years in a row. He lost his seat in 2016 and ran unsuccessfully as an Independent in the 2020 general election.
Perry joins sitting TD Frank Feighan, from Boyle, and Thomas Walsh as confirmed candidates for the convention, which will take place on September 1st. He believes Fine Gael can win two seats in the four-seat constituency.
Political analyst Johnny Fallon believes Perry faces an uphill battle to get a nomination.