Jim Gavin has been selected as the Fianna Fáil candidate to contest the Presidential election. The former Dublin football manager defeated MEP Billy Kelleher on a margin of 41 votes to 29. Both Jim Gavin and Billy Kelleher gave ten minute presentations at the parliamentary party meeting before the secret ballot vote. AdvertisementJim Gavin managed to carry his declared candidates and more to win the vote, with 41 members of the parliamentary party backing him. Most observers said anything above 25 votes for Billy Kelleher would be something of a headache for Micheál Martin, who put a lot of political capital into Jim Gavin.