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In a surprising turn of events, one of the leading hopefuls in Ireland's race for president has withdrawn from the race, upending the political landscape.

Sudden Exit Reconfigures Political Contest

Fianna Fáil's Jim Gavin stepped down on the evening of Sunday following disclosures about an unpaid debt to a previous occupant, converting the contest into an volatile two-horse race between a moderate right former government minister and an independent leftwing member of parliament.

Gavin, 54, a inexperienced candidate who entered the campaign after work in sport, aviation and the military, withdrew after it emerged he had not repaid a rent overpayment of €3,300 when he was a landlord about 16 years ago, during a period of monetary strain.

"I committed an error that was contrary to my values and the standards I set myself. Corrective actions are underway," he stated. "Reflecting deeply, concerning the influence of the continuing election battle on the health of my relatives and acquaintances.

"Weighing all these factors, I have decided to withdraw from the presidential election contest with immediate effect and return to the arms of my family."

Race Narrowed to Two Main Contenders

The biggest shock in a political contest in recent history narrowed the contest to one candidate, a former cabinet minister who is representing the ruling centre-right political party Fine Gael, and another candidate, an outspoken pro-Palestinian voice who is backed by Sinn Féin and small leftwing opposition parties.

Crisis for Leadership

The withdrawal also triggered a crisis for the taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, the party chief, who had staked his authority by selecting an untried candidate over the doubts of associates in the party.

The leader stated Gavin did not want to "bring controversy" to the office of president and was right to withdraw. "Gavin recognized that he made an error in relation to an situation that has arisen in recent days."

Political Difficulties

Although known for competence and success in business and sport – Gavin had steered Dublin's Gaelic football team to five straight titles – his election effort faltered through blunders that caused him to fall behind in an survey even prior to the financial revelation.

Party members who had opposed selecting Gavin said the fiasco was a "major error in judgment" that would have "consequences" – a implied threat to the leader.

Election Rules

The candidate's name may remain on the ballot in the poll taking place in late October, which will finish the long service of President Higgins, but the electorate now confronts a binary choice between a mainstream moderate hopeful and an independent leftwinger. A poll taken before Gavin's exit gave Connolly 32% support and 23 percent for Humphreys, with Gavin on 15%.

According to voting regulations, voters select contenders based on preference. Should no contender surpass a majority in round one, the hopeful with the fewest initial choices is excluded and their support is passed to the next preference.

Potential Vote Transfers

It was expected that should Gavin be removed, most of his votes would shift to the other candidate, and conversely, enhancing the possibility that a establishment hopeful would secure the presidency for the governing partnership.

Role of the Presidency

This office is a largely symbolic post but the current and former presidents turned it into a venue for worldwide concerns.

Final Contenders

Connolly, 68, from Galway, would introduce a robust progressive perspective to that tradition. Connolly has attacked neoliberal economics and remarked Hamas is "part of the fabric" of the Palestinian community. Connolly has alleged NATO of promoting military solutions and equated the country's raised military budget to the thirties, when Adolf Hitler rearmed the country.

Humphreys, 62, has encountered examination over her record as a minister in governments that presided over a housing crisis. A Presbyterian from the county Monaghan near the border, she has also been criticised over her lack of Irish language skills but commented her Protestant heritage could assist in gaining loyalists in the North in a reunified nation.