# 2023 Ards and North Down Borough Council election

The 2023 election to Ards and North Down Borough Council was held on 18 May 2023, alongside other local elections in Northern Ireland, two weeks after local elections in England. The Northern Ireland elections were delayed by 2 weeks to avoid overlapping with the coronation of King Charles III.
They returned 40 members to the council via Single Transferable Vote.

## Background

Ards and North Down is the only council in Northern Ireland on which Sinn Féin have never won a seat.

## Election results

2023 Ards and North Down Borough Council election result :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | DUP | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 35.00 | 29.02 | 16,522 | 4.36 |
| | Alliance | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 30.00 | 26.59 | 15,137 | 4.36 |
| | UUP | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 | 16.50 | 9,393 | 1.31 |
| | Independent | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.50 | 11.16 | 6,351 | 2.55 |
| | Green (NI) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.00 | 5.94 | 3,381 | 4.23 |
| | SDLP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.50 | 3.72 | 2,115 | 0.49 |
| | TUV | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 4.83 | 2,748 | 3.45 |
| | Sinn Féin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.66 | 945 | 1.13 |
| | NI Conservatives | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.59 | 337 | 0.72 |
| Total | Total | 40 | | | | | | 56,929 | |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## District summary

Results of the 2023 Ards and North Down Borough Council election by District Electoral Area :
| District Electoral Area (DEA) | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total cllrs |
| District Electoral Area (DEA) | DUP | DUP | Alliance | Alliance | UUP | UUP | Green | Green | SDLP | SDLP | TUV | TUV | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | Independents and others | Independents and others | | Total cllrs |
| Ards Peninsula | 44.71 | 3 | 13.78 | 1 | 8.05 | 1 | 1.62 | 0 | 13.93 | 1 | 6.45 | 0 | 10.29 | 0 | 1.18 | 0 | 6 |
| Bangor Central | 16.73 | 1 1 | 28.75 | 2 1 | 14.55 | 1 | 6.90 | 0 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 5.37 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 27.69 | 2 1 | 6 |
| Bangor East and Donaghadee | 23.39 | 2 | 23.90 | 2 1 | 34.18 | 2 | 4.18 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 14.35 | 0 1 | 6 |
| Bangor West | 25.72 | 2 1 | 30.09 | 1 1 | 13.33 | 1 | 11.33 | 1 | 4.57 | 0 | 5.09 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 9.87 | 0 | 5 |
| Comber | 38.48 | 2 | 28.83 | 2 1 | 19.31 | 1 | 2.72 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5.61 | 0 1 | 0.00 | 0 | 5.00 | 0 | 5 |
| Holywood and Clandeboye | 19.81 | 1 | 41.03 | 2 | 12.80 | 1 | 14.67 | 1 | 6.97 | 0 | 4.71 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 5 |
| Newtownards | 32.38 | 3 | 23.51 | 2 | 13.54 | 1 | 2.43 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 6.44 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 21.70 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 29.02 | 14 | 26.59 | 12 2 | 16.50 | 8 | 5.94 | 2 1 | 3.72 | 1 | 4.83 | 0 1 | 1.66 | 0 | 11.75 | 3 | 40 |

## District results
### Ards Peninsula

2019: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2023: 3 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2019–2023 Change: No change
Ards Peninsula - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | Robert Adair* | 21.33% | 1,959 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Lorna McAlpine* | 13.78% | 1,266 | 1,273.92 | 1,383.92 | | |
| | SDLP | Joe Boyle* | 13.93% | 1,279 | 1,288.24 | 1,308.57 | 1,314.57 | |
| | DUP | Nigel Edmund* | 6.89% | 633 | 996.99 | 1,003.32 | 1,174.22 | 1,675.22 |
| | DUP | Davy Kerr | 9.00% | 827 | 990.68 | 1,014.99 | 1,165.61 | 1,314.61 |
| | UUP | Pete Wray | 8.05% | 739 | 773.98 | 810.31 | 949.27 | 1,069.06 |
| | Sinn Féin | Noel Sands | 10.29% | 945 | 946.65 | 963.65 | 964.65 | 965.65 |
| | DUP | Eddie Thompson* | 7.48% | 687 | 720.00 | 725.33 | 852.62 | |
| | TUV | Tom Thompson | 6.45% | 592 | 616.09 | 628.09 | | |
| | Green (NI) | Gilian McNaull | 1.62% | 149 | 149.99 | | | |
| | Independent | Boyd Ireland | 1.18% | 108 | 111.63 | | | |
| Electorate: 19,000 Valid: 9,184 (48.34%) Spoilt: 111 Quota: 1,313 Turnout: 9,925 (52.24%) |||||||||

### Bangor Central

2019: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Green, 1 x Independent
2023: 2 x Alliance, 2 x Independent, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP
2019–2023 Change: Alliance and Independent gain from DUP and Green
Bangor Central - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | Alliance | Karen Douglas* † | 16.31% | 1,378 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Wesley Irvine* | 16.20% | 1,369 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Alistair Cathcart* | 12.46% | 1,053 | 1,053.84 | 1,061.84 | 1,091.36 | 1,107.68 | 1,397.68 | | | |
| | UUP | Craig Blaney* | 10.85% | 917 | 920.48 | 935.48 | 965.96 | 1,205.28 | 1,225.28 | | | |
| | Alliance | Chris McCracken | 7.88% | 666 | 699.24 | 705.36 | 707.16 | 718.76 | 719.88 | 722.76 | 1,154.88 | 1,436.88 |
| | Independent | Ray McKimm* | 10.47% | 885 | 891.48 | 906.48 | 933.84 | 958.52 | 962.36 | 975.8 | 1,003.44 | 1,218.44 |
| | TUV | Peter Wilson | 5.37% | 454 | 454.36 | 463.48 | 492.88 | 505.36 | 552.2 | 712.52 | 713.52 | 729.52 |
| | Green (NI) | Stephen Dunlop* | 6.90% | 583 | 598.84 | 600.84 | 605.4 | 615.88 | 622.48 | 631.12 | 666 | |
| | Alliance | Alex Harbinson | 4.56% | 385 | 485.92 | 492.04 | 494.44 | 503.92 | 504.16 | 507.04 | | |
| | DUP | Dean McSorley | 4.27% | 361 | 361.12 | 366.12 | 381.84 | 388.16 | | | | |
| | UUP | Rachel McCord | 3.70% | 313 | 315.76 | 328.76 | 341.12 | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Tim Mullen | 1.02% | 86 | 86.36 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,376 Valid: 8,450 (43.61%) Spoilt: 105 Quota: 1,208 Turnout: 8,555 (44.15%) |||||||||||||

### Bangor East and Donaghadee

2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
2023: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance
2019–2023 Change: Alliance gain from Independent
Bangor East and Donaghadee - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | UUP | Mark Brooks* | 23.21% | 1,972 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Hannah Irwin* | 17.01% | 1,445 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | James Cochrane | 15.01% | 1,275 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | David Chambers* | 10.97% | 932 | 1,323.95 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Gillian McCollum † | 6.89% | 585 | 630.63 | 839.59 | 864.14 | 1,110.04 | 1,128.24 | 1,208.73 | 1,208.85 |
| | DUP | Janice MacArthur* † | 8.38% | 712 | 816.52 | 817.64 | 837.20 | 853.25 | 901.13 | 1,062.63 | 1,110.67 |
| | Independent | Bill Keery* | 7.54% | 641 | 668.30 | 671.66 | 697.22 | 731.42 | 751.58 | 1,019.71 | 1,021.15 |
| | Independent | Tom Smith* | 5.41% | 460 | 590.26 | 592.34 | 612.46 | 646.29 | 669.67 | | |
| | Green (NI) | Ciara Henry | 4.18% | 355 | 394.30 | 408.25 | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Paul Leeman | 1.40% | 119 | 132.65 | 133.13 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 18,066 Valid: 8,496 (47.03%) Spoilt: 94 Quota: 1,214 Turnout: 8,590 (47.55%) ||||||||||||

### Bangor West

2019: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Green
2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Green
2019–2023 Change: DUP gain from Alliance
Bangor West - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | Alliance | Christine Creighton † | 18.06% | 1,175 | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Jennifer Gilmour* | 15.88% | 1,033 | 1,063 | 1,063.77 | 1,068.77 | 1,205.77 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Stephen Hollywood | 13.33% | 867 | 902 | 903.75 | 911.96 | 976.10 | 996.12 | 1,003.33 | 1,185.33 | | |
| | DUP | Peter Martin † | 9.84% | 640 | 649 | 649.35 | 650.35 | 732.42 | 828.88 | 830.95 | 1,045.93 | 1,113.13 | |
| | Green (NI) | Barry McKee* | 11.33% | 737 | 752 | 758.23 | 880.63 | 884.77 | 884.77 | 913.47 | 978.61 | 1,002.97 | 1,019.77 |
| | Alliance | Alison McWhinney | 5.96% | 388 | 392 | 440.02 | 548.91 | 551.91 | 551.91 | 961.60 | 997.02 | 1,005.42 | 1,008.78 |
| | Independent | Susan Prentice | 7.84% | 510 | 522 | 522.77 | 529.77 | 585.77 | 589.41 | 598.48 | | | |
| | Alliance | Huw Stacy | 6.07% | 395 | 398 | 417.67 | 460.81 | 460.81 | 460.81 | | | | |
| | TUV | John Gordon | 5.09% | 331 | 348 | 348.35 | 350.35 | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Tony McCann | 4.57% | 297 | 298 | 301.92 | | | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Colin Breen | 2.03% | 132 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,486 Valid: 6,505 (44.91%) Spoilt: 83 Quota: 1,085 Turnout: 6,588 (45.48%) ||||||||||||||

### Comber

2019: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x TUV
2023: 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2019–2023 Change: Alliance gain from TUV
Comber - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | Libby Douglas | 20.60% | 1,501 | | | | |
| | UUP | Philip Smith* | 19.31% | 1,407 | | | | |
| | DUP | Trevor Cummings* | 17.88% | 1,303 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Patricia Morgan* | 14.84% | 1,081 | 1,087.38 | 1,127.54 | 1,204.6 | 1,219.6 |
| | Alliance | Rachel Ashe | 13.99% | 1,019 | 1,032.64 | 1,074.72 | 1,160.8 | 1,215.2 |
| | TUV | Sam Patterson | 5.61% | 409 | 595.56 | 651.24 | 677.36 | 922.12 |
| | Independent | Stephen Cooper* | 4.42% | 322 | 374.14 | 399.58 | 452.36 | |
| | Green (NI) | Cory Quinn | 2.72% | 197 | 207.56 | 219.56 | | |
| | Independent | John Sloan | 0.58% | 47 | 52.5 | 66.42 | | |
| Electorate: 15,112 Valid: 7,286 (48.21%) Spoilt: 95 Quota: 1,215 Turnout: 7,381 (48.84%) |||||||||

### Holywood and Clandeboye

2019: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Green, 1 x UUP
2023: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Green, 1 x UUP
2019–2023 Change: No change
Holywood and Clandeboye - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | Alan Graham | 14.39% | 1,112 | 1,300 | | | |
| | UUP | Linzi McLaren | 12.80% | 989 | 1,056 | 1,344 | | |
| | Alliance | Martin McRandal* | 15.81% | 1,222 | 1,226 | 1,237 | 1,385 | |
| | Green (NI) | Rachel Woods* † | 14.67% | 1,134 | 1,144 | 1,186 | 1,361 | |
| | Alliance | David Rossiter † | 13.90% | 1,074 | 1,076 | 1,083 | 1,179 | 1,256.39 |
| | Alliance | Helen Corbett | 11.32% | 875 | 891 | 900 | 1,004 | 1,021.75 |
| | SDLP | Déirdre Vaughan | 6.97% | 539 | 541 | 549 | | |
| | DUP | Carl McClean* | 5.42% | 419 | 483 | | | |
| | TUV | Diane Adams | 4.71% | 364 | | | | |
| Electorate: 15,973 Valid: 7,728 (48.38%) Spoilt: 87 Quota: 1,289 Turnout: 7,815 (48.93%) |||||||||

### Newtownards

2019: 3 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2023: 3 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2019–2023 Change: No change
Newtownards - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | Independent | Steven Irvine* | 15.76% | 1,463 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Naomi Armstrong* | 14.75% | 1,370 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Richard Smart* | 13.54% | 1,257 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Alan McDowell* | 13.31% | 1,236 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Stephen McIlveen* | 11.38% | 1,057 | 1,111.78 | 1,154.98 | 1,161.98 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Vicky Moore* | 10.20% | 947 | 959.32 | 961.42 | 1,126.21 | 1,159.33 | 1,230.97 | | |
| | DUP | Colin Kennedy* | 6.25% | 580 | 628.4 | 764.75 | 768.49 | 797.83 | 798.25 | 801.43 | 981.25 |
| | TUV | Eddie Allen | 6.44% | 598 | 670.16 | 681.26 | 686.68 | 700.36 | 700.72 | 702.4 | 872.68 |
| | Independent | Ian Cox | 5.68% | 527 | 618.3 | 625.5 | 672.21 | 685.08 | 685.56 | 701.16 | |
| | Green (NI) | Maurice Macartney | 2.43% | 226 | 233.04 | 234.39 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Ben King | 0.26% | 24 | 36.54 | 36.84 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 21,723 Valid: 9,285 (42.74%) Spoilt: 167 Quota: 1,161 Turnout: 9,452 (43.51%) ||||||||||||

## Changes during the term
### † Co-options

| Date co-opted | Electoral Area | Party | Outgoing | Co-optee | Reason |
| 25 September 2023 | Bangor Central | Alliance | Karen Douglas | Alex Harbinson | Douglas resigned. |
| 30 October 2023 | Holywood and Clandeboye | Green (NI) | Rachel Woods | Lauren Kendall | Woods resigned. |
| 24 April 2024 | Bangor East and Donaghadee | DUP | Janice MacArthur | Eddie Thompson | MacArthur resigned. |
| 31 July 2024 | Bangor West | DUP | Peter Martin | Carl McClean | Martin was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly. |
| 14 October 2024 | Holywood and Clandeboye | Alliance | David Rossiter | Gillian McCollum | Rossiter resigned. |
| 15 October 2024 | Bangor East and Donaghadee | Alliance | Gillian McCollum | John Hennessy | McCollum was co-opted to Holywood and Clandeboye. |
| 21 October 2024 | Bangor West | Alliance | Christine Creighton | Naomi McBurney | Creighton resigned. |