# Cookstown (District Electoral Area)

Cookstown is one of the seven district electoral areas (DEA) in Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland, encompassing the town of the same name and nearby villages. The district elects seven members to Mid Ulster District Council and contains the wards of Coagh, Cookstown East, Cookstown South, Cookstown West, Loughry, Oaklands and Pomeroy. Cookstown forms part of the Mid Ulster constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Cookstown Area C which had existed since 1973. It was called Cookstown Central until 2014, and originally contained five wards (Gortalowry, Killymoon, Newbuildings, Oldtown and Tullagh). Following local government reform, Cookstown gained most of the abolished Ballinderry DEA and Drum Manor DEA in the 2014 local elections.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| July 2024 Co-Option | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Donna Mullin (Sinn Féin) | Kerri Martin (SDLP) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Wilbert Buchanan (DUP) | | Eva Cahoon (DUP) | | Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin) |
| 2023 | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Cathal Mallaghan (Sinn Féin) | Kerri Martin (SDLP) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Wilbert Buchanan (DUP) | | Eva Cahoon (DUP) | | Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin) |
| 2019 | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Cathal Mallaghan (Sinn Féin) | Kerri Martin (SDLP) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Wilbert Buchanan (DUP) | | Mark Glasgow (UUP) | | Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin) |
| May 2017 Defection | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Cathal Mallaghan (Sinn Féin) | Tony Quinn (SDLP)/ (Independent) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Wilbert Buchanan (DUP) | | Mark Glasgow (UUP) | | Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin) |
| 2014 | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Cathal Mallaghan (Sinn Féin) | Tony Quinn (SDLP)/ (Independent) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Wilbert Buchanan (DUP) | | Mark Glasgow (UUP) | | Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin) |
| 2011 | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Ciarán McElhone (Sinn Féin) | Tony Quinn (SDLP)/ (Independent) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Ian McCrea (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |
| 2005 | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Peter Cassidy (SDLP) | Tony Quinn (SDLP)/ (Independent) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Ian McCrea (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |
| 2001 | John McNamee (Sinn Féin) | Peter Cassidy (SDLP) | Seamus Campbell (Sinn Féin) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Ian McCrea (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |
| 1997 | Sean Begley (Sinn Féin) | Denis Haughey (SDLP) | William Larmour (UUP) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | William Larmour (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |
| 1993 | Margaret Laverty (SDLP) | Denis Haughey (SDLP) | Ian Montgomery (UUP) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | William Larmour (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |
| 1989 | Margaret Laverty (SDLP) | Denis Haughey (SDLP) | Kenneth Loughrin (DUP) | Trevor Wilson (UUP) | Alan Kane (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |
| 1985 | Christopher Neeson (Sinn Féin) | Brigid Neeson (SDLP) | Kenneth Loughrin (DUP) | Espie Donaldson (UUP) | Alan Kane (DUP) | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 | 5 seats 1985–2014 |

## 2023 Election

2019: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
2023: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP
2019–2023 Change: DUP gain from UUP
Cookstown - 7 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 |
| | Sinn Féin | Cathal Mallaghan* | 20.97% | 2,157 | | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John McNamee* | 17.21% | 1,771 | | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Gavin Bell* | 11.81% | 1,215 | 2,010.20 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Kerri Martin* | 7.48% | 769 | 813.80 | 1,013.00 | 1,381.48 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Wilbert Buchanan* | 12.14% | 1,249 | 1,249.80 | 1,249.80 | 1,250.74 | 1,252.74 | 1,252.74 | 1,360.74 | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 6.82% | 702 | 702.40 | 702.40 | 708.04 | 708.04 | 712.64 | 983.27 | 1,002.87 | 1,201.33 |
| | DUP | Eva Cahoon | 7.47% | 768 | 768.00 | 768.00 | 769.41 | 769.41 | 769.41 | 843.41 | 886.81 | 919.54 |
| | TUV | Timothy Hagan | 6.44% | 663 | 663.00 | 663.80 | 667.56 | 669.56 | 670.02 | 707.02 | 716.12 | 740.19 |
| | Alliance | Chris Hillcox | 4.12% | 424 | 435.60 | 480.40 | 569.70 | 598.25 | 684.96 | 711.89 | 713.29 | |
| | UUP | Mark Glasgow* | 5.11% | 526 | 527.60 | 530.00 | 530.47 | 531.47 | 532.39 | | | |
| | Independent | Louise Taylor | 0.43% | 44 | 46.40 | 51.60 | 62.41 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17,175 Valid: 10,288 (59.90%) Spoilt: 145 Quota: 1,287 Turnout: 10,433 (60,75%) |||||||||||||

## 2019 Election

2014: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
2019: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
2014–2019 Change: No change
Cookstown – 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Cathal Mallaghan* | 18.50% | 1,710 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John McNamee* | 14.81% | 1,369 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Kerri Hughes | 14.49% | 1,339 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Wilbert Buchanan* | 13.26% | 1,225 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Gavin Bell* | 9.09% | 840 | 1,385.7 | | | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 11.27% | 1,041 | 1,042.02 | 1,047.46 | 1,103.46 | 1,163.46 | |
| | UUP | Mark Glasgow* | 8.58% | 793 | 795.04 | 804.9 | 821.9 | 904.6 | 1,063.43 |
| | DUP | Grace Neville | 7.51% | 694 | 695.36 | 696.72 | 707.72 | 796.74 | 819.65 |
| | TUV | Alan Day | 2.49% | 230 | 230.34 | 237.48 | 249.48 | | |
| Electorate: 16,472 Valid: 9,241 (56.10%) Spoilt: 153 Quota: 1,156 Turnout: 9,394 (57.03%) ||||||||||

## 2014 Election

2011: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP
2014: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
2011-2014 Change: Sinn Féin and UUP gain due to the addition of two seats
Cookstown - 7 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 |
| | Sinn Féin | Cathal Mallaghan* | 16.41% | 1,481 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 14.61% | 1,319 | | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John McNamee* | 13.89% | 1,254 | | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Gavin Bell | 11.03% | 996 | 1,307.76 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Tony Quinn* ‡ | 8.90% | 803 | 823.88 | 830.32 | 860.56 | 956.51 | 1,007.18 | 1,015.32 | 1,240.32 | |
| | DUP | Wilbert Buchanan* | 7.94% | 717 | 717.24 | 734.6 | 734.84 | 735.41 | 739.55 | 774.83 | 776.16 | 1,090.97 |
| | UUP | Mark Glasgow* | 9.05% | 817 | 817.72 | 919.36 | 919.6 | 919.98 | 931.54 | 980.52 | 986.95 | 1,032.88 |
| | TUV | Walter Millar | 7.05% | 636 | 636.24 | 670.96 | 671.2 | 672.91 | 676.29 | 733.85 | 738.52 | 813.9 |
| | DUP | Maureen Lees* | 4.60% | 415 | 415 | 433.2 | 433.44 | 433.44 | 435.82 | 465.24 | 468.43 | |
| | SDLP | Maria Cleary-McGuffin | 3.06% | 276 | 283.92 | 284.34 | 307.38 | 322.77 | 342.96 | 349.86 | | |
| | UKIP | Alan Day | 2.16% | 195 | 195 | 197.52 | 198 | 199.9 | 205.04 | | | |
| | Alliance | Mickey McDonald | 1.30% | 117 | 119.16 | 120.42 | 123.06 | 128.57 | | | | |
| Electorate: 16,135 Valid: 9,026 (55.94%) Spoilt: 141 Quota: 1,129 Turnout: 9,167 (56.81%) |||||||||||||

## 2011 Election

2005: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP
2011: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP
2005-2011 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Sinn Féin | John McNamee* | 23.55% | 986 | | | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 21.72% | 909 | | | | |
| | DUP | Ian McCrea* | 17.63% | 738 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Tony Quinn* | 14.88% | 623 | 665.63 | 691.38 | 892.38 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Ciarán McElhone | 8.89% | 372 | 600.23 | 600.48 | 657 | 730 |
| | TUV | Hannah Loughrin | 6.07% | 254 | 254.29 | 402.04 | 431.83 | 439.83 |
| | SDLP | Peter Cassidy* | 5.06% | 212 | 217.22 | 231.97 | | |
| | Alliance | Michael McDonald | 2.20% | 92 | 95.77 | 111.52 | | |
| Electorate: 7,556 Valid: 4,186 (55.40%) Spoilt: 68 Quota: 698 Turnout: 4,254 (56.30%) |||||||||

## 2005 Election

2001: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP
2005: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP
2001-2005 Change: SDLP gain from Sinn Féin
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | Ian McCrea* | 26.06% | 1,246 | | | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 23.21% | 1,110 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John McNamee* | 20.43% | 977 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Peter Cassidy* | 10.75% | 514 | 659.92 | 796 | 807.34 | |
| | SDLP | Tony Quinn | 10.31% | 493 | 571.08 | 659.28 | 675.12 | 807.68 |
| | Sinn Féin | Ciarán McElhone | 7.49% | 358 | 359.92 | 361.18 | 503.92 | 522.84 |
| | Socialist Party | Harry Hutchinson | 1.76% | 84 | 302.24 | 387.32 | | |
| Electorate: 7,452 Valid: 4,782 (64.17%) Spoilt: 72 Quota: 798 Turnout: 4,854 (65.14%) |||||||||

## 2001 Election

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
2001: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1997-2001 Change: Sinn Féin gain from UUP
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Sinn Féin | John McNamee* | 25.23% | 1,427 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 23.39% | 1,323 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Ian McCrea | 18.81% | 1,064 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Peter Cassidy | 14.00% | 792 | 828.4 | 835.36 | 838.1 | 1,118.1 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Seamus Campbell | 6.44% | 364 | 796.6 | 796.89 | 797.89 | 832.63 | 956.63 |
| | UUP | Albert Crawford | 4.21% | 238 | 238 | 547.72 | 672.03 | 687.67 | |
| | SDLP | Eddie Espie | 5.80% | 328 | 340.95 | 347.62 | 351.78 | | |
| | DUP | Hugh Davidson | 2.12% | 120 | 120 | 174.81 | | | |
| Electorate: 7,503 Valid: 5,656 (75.38%) Spoilt: 118 Quota: 943 Turnout: 5,774 (76.96%) ||||||||||

## 1997 Election

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 27.37% | 1,427 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Sean Begley* | 22.48% | 1,172 | | | | | |
| | DUP | William John Larmour* | 16.55% | 863 | 996.77 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Denis Haughey* | 16.40% | 855 | 859.68 | 1,090.48 | | | |
| | UUP | William Joseph Larmour | 4.24% | 221 | 581.36 | 581.76 | 581.76 | 745.42 | 855.01 |
| | SDLP | Margaret Laverty* | 9.34% | 487 | 489.34 | 558.54 | 741.34 | 746.52 | 748.86 |
| | DUP | Raymond McGarvey | 3.62% | 189 | 237.36 | 238.96 | 241.76 | | |
| Electorate: 7,474 Valid: 5,214 (69.76%) Spoilt: 94 Quota: 870 Turnout: 5,308 (71.02%) ||||||||||

## 1993 Election

1989: 2 x SDLP, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP
1993: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP
1989-1993 Change: UUP gain from DUP
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson* | 29.70% | 1,514 | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Denis Haughey* | 18.42% | 939 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ian Montgomery | 7.94% | 405 | 949.28 | | | | | |
| | DUP | William Larmour | 12.44% | 634 | 712.76 | 767 | 783.84 | 784.11 | 953.11 | |
| | SDLP | Margaret Laverty* | 12.46% | 635 | 635.44 | 637.36 | 672.68 | 748.19 | 758.59 | 779.59 |
| | Sinn Féin | Martin Conlon | 13.81% | 704 | 704 | 704.08 | 716.08 | 720.67 | 720.76 | 720.76 |
| | DUP | Rodney Mitchell | 3.37% | 172 | 201.48 | 231.16 | 239.84 | 240.02 | | |
| | Democratic Left | Edwin Espie | 1.00% | 51 | 54.08 | 55.68 | | | | |
| | Independent Labour | Harry Hutchinson | 0.86% | 44 | 44.44 | 45.56 | | | | |
| Electorate: 7,047 Valid: 5,098 (72.34%) Spoilt: 112 Quota: 850 Turnout: 5,210 (73.93%) |||||||||||

## 1989 Election

1985: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
1989: 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
1985-1989 Change: SDLP gain from Sinn Féin
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | UUP | Trevor Wilson | 27.60% | 1,337 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Alan Kane* | 27.35% | 1,325 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Denis Haughey* | 17.65% | 855 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Kenneth Loughrin* | 2.19% | 106 | 609.89 | 1,116.89 | | | |
| | SDLP | Margaret Laverty | 8.67% | 420 | 425.33 | 428.45 | 456.14 | 589.57 | 628.67 |
| | Sinn Féin | Dermot Coyle | 11.35% | 550 | 550 | 550.39 | 551.17 | 618.9 | 620.65 |
| | Workers' Party | Hugh Brennan | 5.20% | 252 | 262.66 | 263.83 | 317.26 | | |
| Electorate: 6,722 Valid: 4,845 (72.08%) Spoilt: 90 Quota: 808 Turnout: 4,935 (73.42%) ||||||||||

## 1985 Election

1985: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin
Cookstown Central - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | DUP | Alan Kane* | 28.33% | 1,444 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Espie Donaldson* | 21.35% | 1,088 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Brigid Neeson* | 11.10% | 566 | 566 | 566.44 | 937.44 | | |
| | DUP | Kenneth Loughrin* | 3.49% | 178 | 721.66 | 789.86 | 790.08 | 790.08 | 947.08 |
| | Sinn Féin | Christopher Neeson | 15.62% | 796 | 796 | 796 | 809 | 829.48 | 830.52 |
| | Workers' Party | Patrick Bloomer | 8.00% | 408 | 410.87 | 413.29 | 424.92 | 484.76 | 539.33 |
| | UUP | Edmund Giboney | 4.32% | 220 | 257.31 | 421.65 | 425.55 | 430.03 | |
| | SDLP | Margaret Laverty* | 7.79% | 397 | 399.87 | 400.97 | | | |
| Electorate: 6,314 Valid: 5,097 (80.73%) Spoilt: 62 Quota: 850 Turnout: 5,159 (81.71%) ||||||||||