2008 Fianna Fáil leadership election explained

Election Name:	2008 Fianna Fáil leadership election
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1994 Fianna Fáil leadership election
Previous Year:	1994
Next Election:	2011 Fianna Fáil leadership election
Next Year:	2011
Image1:	File:Brian Cowen, June 2010 (cropped).jpg
Image1 Size:	170x170px
Candidate1:	Brian Cowen
Leaders Seat1:	Laois-Offaly
Percentage1:	Unopposed
Leader
Before Election:	Bertie Ahern
After Election:	Brian Cowen

The 2008 Fianna Fáil leadership election began on 2 April 2008, when party leader and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announced his resignation. Brian Cowen, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance was the clear favourite to succeed him.^{[1] [2]}

Candidates

Standing

• Brian Cowen – Tánaiste and Minister for Finance

Declined to stand

• Dermot Ahern^[3] – Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Mary Hanafin – Minister for Education and Science
• Micheál Martin – Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
• Brian Lenihan – Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Outcome

On 2 April Mary Hanafin declined to comment on whether she would be standing for the leadership and Brian Lenihan had ruled himself out of the race.^[4] By 4 April all of the Fianna Fáil cabinet ministers had declared their support for the candidacy of Brian Cowen. No other candidate emerged, and Cowen was elected unopposed as the seventh leader of Fianna Fáil on 9 April 2008.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Behind the smugness is a clueless Brian Cowen. Irish Independent. 2008-01-27. 2008-04-02. 2008-04-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20080406011105/http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/behind-the-smugness-is-a-clueless-brian-cowen-1275197.html. live.
2. Web site: Cowen feels 'positive about the soul of the country' . https://archive.today/20130217175306/http://www.independent.ie/national-news/cowen-feels-positive-about-the-soul-of-the-country-88294.html . dead . 2013-02-17 . . 2006-07-17 . 2008-04-02 .
3. Web site: The other Dermot Ahern . . 2006-01-29 . 2008-04-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090306114026/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2006/01/29/story11361.asp . 2009-03-06 .
4. Web site: No Hanafin comment on FF leadership. RTÉ News. 2008-04-02. 2008-04-02. 2008-04-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20080404074123/http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0402/ahernbreax1.html. live.
5. Web site: FF elects Brian Cowen as leader. RTÉ News. 2008-04-09. 2008-04-09. 2008-04-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20080411032531/http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0409/fiannafail.html. live.