A Fianna Fáil selection convention last night chose former councillor Chris Andrews to run in Dublin South East in the next general election, with party headquarters expected to add a second candidate.
Mr Andrews (41) was selected from the four people who contested the convention. He had a 24-vote margin of victory over the second-placed candidate, Jim O'Callaghan, on the third count. Some 87 delegates voted.
Fianna Fáil is seeking to retain the party's seat in what will be one of the State's most keenly contested constituencies.
The current Fianna Fáil TD is Eoin Ryan, but having been elected to the European Parliament last year he has chosen not to run for the Dáil.
Fine Gael's Lucinda Creighton is seeking to regain a Fine Gael seat in the four-seat constituency.
The sitting TDs are Mr Ryan, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, Green Party chairman John Gormley and former Labour leader Ruairí Quinn.
On the first count the four FF contenders were separated by just seven votes. However, Mr Andrews, who headed the poll, attracted more transfers than Mr O'Callaghan from both Cllr Garry Keegan and Senator Mary White.
Mr Andrews is the son of former TD and MEP Niall Andrews. He lost his Dublin City Council seat last year.
The party's constituency committee will now decide whether to add a candidate and, if so, who that should be. The committee is headed by deputy leader and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen. It generally chooses from among the unsuccessful candidates at a convention but it is entitled to chose anyone it believes will maximise the party vote.
In a speech after the result last night, unsuccessful candidate Garry Keegan made it clear he would like to be added to the ticket, and urged the party to decide quickly. Mr O'Callaghan and Ms White are also understood to be keen to be added.
Senator John Hanafin, who withdrew his name from the ballot shortly before the convention, also made it clear that he would like to be added.