Profile of Eamon Gilmore
Proposed by: Mr Joe Sherlock TD and seconded by Mr Michael D. Higgins TD.
Born: 1955.
Marital status: Married with two children.
Career to date: A student radical in his youth, Mr Gilmore is a former Democratic Left TD and a junior Minister in the last rainbow Government.
Born in Galway he worked as a trade union official until he was first elected to the Dáil in 1989 for the Workers' Party. He joined Democratic Left in 1992 and became a member of the Labour Party upon the merger between the two parties.
Strengths: Mr Gilmore has an enormous appetite for hard work and seems to be clear on what his battle plan is for the contest. He will bring his organisational skills to bear on his campaign.
Intelligent and smart, he is well able to express himself. Mr Gilmore shows genuine passion and enthusiasm and is seen as politically solid with good judgement.
Despite his Democratic Left past, he appeals across the board to the Labour Party and has successfully straddled the old and the new in Labour.
Weaknesses: While he fares well in Dún Laoghaire, one of the most volatile constituencies in the State, he is seen very much as the urban vote-catcher, and it is not clear how he will appeal to the rural Labour voters who will comprise a substantial portion of the 3,600-strong electorate.
He does not have the same national profile as leadership contestants Mr Pat Rabbitte or Mr Brendan Howlin. He will also be competing for the same votes as his former Democratic Left colleague, Mr Rabbitte.
Bookies odds: 8/1.