WATERSIDE- Results for Local Election 2023

The Local Elections today (May 18) saw a total of 462 councillors elected to 11 local councils across the North of Ireland.

Forty of those were elected into Derry and Strabane District Council.

Derry City and Strabane District Council comprises seven wards: Ballyarnett, Derg, Faughan, Foyleside, Sperrin, The Moor, and Waterside.

Waterside

Waterside comprises the district electoral areas of Caw, Clondermot, Drumahoe, Ebrington, Kilfennan, Lisnagelvin and Victoria. It has 7 seats.

There were ten candidates standing in Waterside. They were: Chelsea Cooke (DUP), Caitlin Deeney (Sinn Féin), Darren Guy (UUP), Christopher Jackson (Sinn Féin), Phillip McKinney (Alliance), Niree McMorris (DUP), Janice Montgomery (UUP), Sean Mooney (SDLP), Davina Pulis (People Before Profit) and Martin Reilly (SDLP).

The electorate was 21,241 with 93 spoilt votes cast, leaving 8,095 valid votes to be counted and a 56.34% turnout. The quota was set at 1,350.

The first preference tallies were: Chelsea Cooke (DUP) 1,262 votes, Caitlin Deeney (Sinn Féin) 1,949 votes, Darren Guy (UUP) 1,797 votes, Christopher Jackson (Sinn Féin) 1,019 votes, Philip McKinney (Alliance) 748 votes, Niree McMorris (DUP) 1,225
votes, Janice Montgomery (UUP) 448 votes, Sean Mooney (SDLP) 1,071 votes, Davina Pulis (People Before Profit)388 votes and Martin Reilly (SDLP) 1,006 votes.

The seven candidates elected are Caitlin Deeney (Sinn Féin) and Darren Guy (UUP) after first preference and Christopher Jackson (Sinn Féin), Niree McMorris (DUP), Chelsea Cooke (DUP), Sean Mooney (SDLP) and Martin Reilly (SDLP).

DUP have secured 2 seats, SDLP have secured 2 seats, Sinn Féin have secured 2 seats and UUP have secured 1.

Last election 

In 2019, the total number of the Waterside electorate was 19,558. There were  9,956 valid votes cast. There were 178 spoilt votes and the quota was set at 1,245 votes.

The first preference tallies were: Darren Guy (UUP) 1,589 votes (elected); Sinead McLaughlin  (SDLP) 1,483 votes (elected); Hilary McClintock (DUP) 1,250 votes (elected); Martin Reilly (SDLP) 939 votes (elected); Christopher Jackson (Sinn Féin) 825 votes (elected); Philip McKinney (Alliance) 715 votes (elected); David Ramsey (DUP) 839 votes (elected); Drew Thompson (DUP) 780 votes; Sharon McLaughlin (Sinn Féin) 784 votes; Maeve O'Neill (People Before Profit) 752 votes.

In the Waterside Ward there were three changes during the Council term. On February 28 2020, Sinead McLaughlin (SDLP) was co-opted to the NI Assembly and Sean Mooney (SDLP) was co-opted on as her replacement. On June 9 2022, Hilary McClintock (DUP) resigned and Drew Thompson (DUP) was co-opted as her replacement. Finally, on December 1 2022, David Ramsey (DUP) resigned and Niree McMorris (DUP) was co-opted as his replacement.