1994 Fianna Fáil leadership election

The 1994 Fianna Fáil leadership election began in November 1994, when Albert Reynolds resigned as party leader and Taoiseach.^[1] Reynolds had been party leader since February 1992 and had served as Taoiseach since then.^[2] His successor was elected by the members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on 19 December 1994. Bertie Ahern was the only candidate to stand at the time of the election and was thus elected leader, the first to be unanimously elected since Seán Lemass in 1959.^[3]

Candidates

Standing

Bertie Ahern, Minister for Finance^[3]

Withdrew

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Minister for Justice - originally sought candidature, but subsequently withdrew.^[4]

References

^ "From the archive: the end of Albert's era selection of reports from November 1994 as the wheels came off the FF-Labour coalition". The Irish Times. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2024. Reynolds stood down as party leader and was succeeded by Bertie Ahern. Labour joined with Fine Gael and Democratic left to form the Rainbow Coalition, with John Bruton as taoiseach.
^ O'Connor, Niall (22 August 2014). "Short time as Taoiseach was often controversial". Independent.ie. Retrieved 10 February 2024. But his term in power from February 1992 to December 1994 was often tumultuous.
^ ^a ^b "Bertie Elected Leader of Fianna Fáil". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 10 February 2024. As the sixth and youngest leader of the party, he is also the first to be elected unanimously since Seán Lemass in 1959.
^ McGee, Harry (27 December 2006). "Doherty's wife 'had big role in Haughey bombshell'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 February 2024. In the subsequent leadership contest, however, Ms Geoghegan Quinn withdrew her candidacy, allowing Bertie Ahern to be elected by acclamation.