Liam Weeks and I produced this typology for our 2009 book, All Politics is Local: A Guide to Local Elections in Ireland. It is drawn from responses from 505 local election candidates in Ireland. Our research indicates the presence of a number of different types of candidates at local level.
1. THE ASPIRANT - Someone who is not that interested in local office, but who sees is as a useful route to national politics.
2. THE LOCAL BROKER - Someone looking to represent and fight for the interests of his or her local community.
3. THE POLICY-MAKER - Self-explanatory; someone who wants to develop local policy.
4. THE LOBBYIST - A candidate running to promote the cause of an interest group.
5. THE ACTIVIST - An individual who enjoys politics and likes to devote time to it.
6. THE LOYALIST - Someone not particularly keen on electoral office but who runs because of a party request.
7. THE PROTECTOR - Someone who runs because of familial links to a politician, either to maintain a tradition of family representation or to 'protect' a local seat when a relative transfers to the national arena.
8. THE DISSIDENT - This candidate's motivation stems from falling out with an organisation over an issue, be it a party or a local community group.
9. THE MAVERICK - His/her presence in the electoral contest is unpredictable and can be the product of idiosyncratic factors.
For more detail on the Weeks and Quinlivan Typology of Local Election Candidates (2009), please go to All Politics is Local: A Guide to Local Elections in Ireland, published in 2009 by The Collins Press.
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