# 2023 Mid and East Antrim District Council election

The 2023 election to Mid and East Antrim District 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.

## Controversies

Tyler Hoey was selected as a DUP candidate to contest the 2023 Mid and East Antrim Council elections. In 2020, Hoey 'liked' a social media post commemorating the Greysteel massacre, which stated, "On this day 27 years ago, An Ulster Freedom Fighters Active Service Unit from North Antrim-Londonderry Brigade 'Trick or Treated' its way into the republican Rising Sun bar in Greysteel in order to gain revenge for the Shankill Bombing. Spirit of '93". Following this revelation, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said that Hoey "deeply regrets some of the things that he said in the past" and that he is "entitled to a second chance."

## Election results

Mid and East Antrim District Council Election Result 2023 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | DUP | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 32.50 | 30.90 | 15,627 | 1.08 |
| | UUP | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20.00 | 17.33 | 8,764 | 0.91 |
| | Alliance | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.50 | 18.93 | 9,571 | 3.11 |
| | TUV | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 | 15.92 | 8,050 | 0.70 |
| | Sinn Féin | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10.00 | 9.29 | 4,700 | 2.89 |
| | Independent | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.00 | 4.36 | 2,205 | 3.89 |
| | SDLP | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 2.01 | 1,016 | 0.20 |
| | Green (NI) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.92 | 464 | 0.37 |
| | PUP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.32 | 164 | 0.33 |
| Total | Total | 40 | | | | | | 50,571 | |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the 2023 Mid and East Antrim District Council election by district :
| District Electoral Area (DEA) | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total cllrs |
| District Electoral Area (DEA) | DUP | DUP | UUP | UUP | Alliance | Alliance | TUV | TUV | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | SDLP | SDLP | Independents and others | Independents and others | | Total cllrs |
| Ballymena | 23.09 | 2 | 13.28 | 1 1 | 12.29 | 1 | 13.58 | 1 | 12.69 | 1 1 | 11.03 | 0 1 | 14.04 | 1 1 | 7 |
| Bannside | 23.85 | 2 | 10.74 | 1 | 8.75 | 0 | 39.54 | 2 | 14.72 | 1 | 2.40 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Braid | 35.31 | 2 1 | 18.68 | 1 | 10.74 | 1 | 21.51 | 2 | 13.76 | 1 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Carrick Castle | 39.22 | 2 | 23.30 | 2 | 25.70 | 1 | 6.99 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4.79 | 0 | 5 |
| Coast Road | 32.65 | 2 | 13.3 | 1 | 26.23 | 1 | 5.79 | 0 | 20.08 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 1.95 | 0 | 5 |
| Knockagh | 31.99 | 2 | 19.04 | 1 | 25.53 | 1 | 5.37 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 18.07 | 1 | 5 |
| Larne Lough | 32.15 | 2 | 25.27 | 1 | 32.56 | 2 | 6.67 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.35 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 30.90 | 14 1 | 17.33 | 8 1 | 18.93 | 7 | 15.92 | 5 | 9.29 | 4 2 | 2.01 | 0 1 | 5.60 | 2 1 | 40 |

## District results
### Ballymena

2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x TUV, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x TUV, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin and UUP gain from SDLP and Independent
Ballymena - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Independent | Rodney Quigley* | 14.02% | 1,023 | | | |
| | TUV | Matthew Armstrong* | 13.58% | 991 | | | |
| | UUP | Colin Crawford † | 13.28% | 969 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Bréanainn Lyness | 12.69% | 926 | | | |
| | DUP | Reuben Glover | 12.51% | 913 | | | |
| | Alliance | John Hyland* † | 12.29% | 897 | 913.80 | | |
| | DUP | Lawrie Philpott | 6.33% | 462 | 514.64 | 831.80 | 906.90 |
| | SDLP | Eugene Reid* | 11.03% | 805 | 816.62 | 820.04 | 822.84 |
| | DUP | Andrew Wright | 4.25% | 310 | 337.58 | | |
| Electorate: 16,173 Valid: 7,296 (45.11%) Spoilt: 40 Quota: 913 Turnout: 7,336 (45.55%) ||||||||

### Bannside

2019: 2 x TUV, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
2023: 2 x TUV, 2 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
2019–2023 Change: No change
Bannside - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | TUV | Timothy Gaston* † | 16.72% | 1,468 | | | | | |
| | TUV | Stewart McDonald* | 16.42% | 1,442 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Ian Friary* | 14.72% | 1,292 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Thomas Gordon* | 14.31% | 1,256 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Tyler Hoey | 9.54% | 838 | 865.45 | 867.45 | 892.28 | 892.43 | 1,295.83 |
| | UUP | Jackson Minford | 10.74% | 943 | 957.1 | 965.1 | 983.69 | 984.14 | 1,238.67 |
| | Alliance | Jack Gibson | 8.75% | 768 | 773.25 | 961.25 | 965.02 | 994.63 | 1,015.02 |
| | TUV | Anna Henry | 6.40% | 562 | 727.75 | 728.9 | 862.54 | 862.75 | |
| | SDLP | Morgan Murphy | 2.40% | 211 | 211.15 | | | | |
| Electorate: 15,197 Valid: 8,780 (57.77%) Spoilt: 82 Quota: 1,255 Turnout: 8,862 (58.31%) ||||||||||

### Braid

2019: 3 x DUP, 2 x TUV, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2023: 2 x DUP, 2 x TUV, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance
2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from DUP
Braid - 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 |
| | Sinn Féin | Archie Rae | 13.76% | 1,302 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Beth Adger* | 13.17% | 1,246 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | William McCaughey* | 12.93% | 1,224 | | | | | | | |
| | TUV | Christopher Jamieson* | 12.63% | 1,195 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Alan Barr | 11.18% | 1,058 | 1,059.4 | 1,612.4 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Chelsea Harwood | 10.74% | 1,016 | 1,121.6 | 1,146.1 | 1,232.1 | | | | |
| | TUV | Matthew Warwick | 8.88% | 840 | 840.5 | 940.5 | 1,128.5 | 1,134.95 | 1,146.95 | 1,152.17 | 1,162.63 |
| | DUP | Julie Philpott | 9.21% | 872 | 872.2 | 893.2 | 1,045.2 | 1,098.6 | 1,120.6 | 1,150.87 | 1,152.04 |
| | UUP | Keith Turner* | 7.50% | 710 | 710.9 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17,809 Valid: 9,463 (53.14%) Spoilt: 89 Quota: 1,183 Turnout: 9,552 (53.64%) ||||||||||||

### Carrick Castle

2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2023: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2019–2023 Change: No change
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Alliance | Lauren Gray* | 25.70% | 1,607 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Cheryl Brownlee* † | 18.45% | 1,154 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Billy Ashe* | 16.47% | 1,030 | 1,047.48 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robin Stewart* | 12.01% | 751 | 874.50 | 883.50 | 926.39 | 1,021.01 | 1,048.01 | |
| | UUP | Bethany Ferris | 11.29% | 706 | 813.92 | 823.91 | 849.54 | 936.77 | 973.77 | 1,070.67 |
| | TUV | Frances Henderson | 6.99% | 437 | 446.1 | 455.57 | 501.56 | 611.29 | 617.29 | 629.07 |
| | Green (NI) | Jenny Hutchinson | 2.17% | 136 | 420.62 | 421.88 | 425.87 | 426.97 | | |
| | DUP | John McDermott* | 4.30% | 269 | 272.04 | 337.83 | 373.08 | | | |
| | PUP | Jim McCaw | 2.62% | 164 | 169.32 | 175.44 | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,886 Valid: 6,254 (45.04%) Spoilt: 71 Quota: 1,043 Turnout: 6,325 (45.54%) |||||||||||

### Coast Road

2019: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
2019–2023 Change: No change
Coast Road - 5 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 |
| | Sinn Féin | James McKeown* | 20.08% | 1,180 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Andrew Clarke* | 18.90% | 1,111 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Gerardine Mulvenna* | 18.61% | 1,094 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Angela Smyth* | 13.75% | 808 | 808.42 | 905.33 | 912.76 | 914.06 | 977.37 | 1,199.37 | |
| | UUP | Maureen Morrow* | 7.78% | 457 | 463.93 | 477.02 | 489.49 | 493.69 | 705.44 | 828.91 | 1,006.91 |
| | Alliance | Niamh Spurle | 7.62% | 448 | 587.65 | 588.31 | 678 | 776.9 | 795.02 | 800.35 | 801.35 |
| | TUV | Wesley Stevenson | 5.79% | 340 | 340.21 | 347.36 | 351.99 | 352.19 | 383.74 | | |
| | UUP | Olivia Swan | 5.55% | 326 | 326.63 | 329.38 | 337.38 | 339.68 | | | |
| | Green (NI) | Eddie Alcorn | 1.92% | 113 | 159.83 | 160.49 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,799 Valid: 5,877 (45.92%) Spoilt: 60 Quota: 980 Turnout: 5,937 (46.39%) ||||||||||||

### Knockagh

2019: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2019–2023 Change: No change
Knockagh - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Independent | Bobby Hadden* | 18.22% | 1,182 | | | | |
| | DUP | Peter Johnston* | 17.64% | 1,144 | | | | |
| | DUP | Marc Collins* | 14.35% | 931 | 957.19 | 1,191.19 | | |
| | UUP | Andrew Wilson* | 12.21% | 792 | 809.19 | 868.19 | 1,266.15 | |
| | Alliance | Aaron Skinner | 13.92% | 903 | 917.58 | 919.67 | 954.67 | 1,075.81 |
| | Alliance | Noel Williams* | 11.61% | 753 | 763.53 | 770.89 | 788.67 | 856.48 |
| | UUP | Gary McCabe | 6.68% | 433 | 446.23 | 478.23 | | |
| | TUV | James Strange | 5.37% | 348 | 358.53 | | | |
| Electorate: 13,223 Valid: 6,486 (49.05%) Spoilt: 59 Quota: 1,082 Turnout: 6,545 (49.50%) |||||||||

### Larne Lough

2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2023: 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP
2019–2023 Change: No change
Larne Lough - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Alliance | Maeve Donnelly* | 21.69% | 1,389 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Gregg McKeen* | 18.69% | 1,197 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Roy Beggs Jr | 17.78% | 1,139 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Robert Logan* | 10.87% | 696 | 996.15 | 1,165.15 | | | |
| | DUP | Paul Reid* | 13.46% | 862 | 864.53 | 867.76 | 972.26 | 975.26 | 1,224.26 |
| | UUP | James Carson | 7.49% | 480 | 485.06 | 500.90 | 506.70 | 563.70 | 692.70 |
| | TUV | Ronnie Donnell | 6.67% | 427 | 427.23 | 433.69 | 441.69 | 444.69 | |
| | Green (NI) | Philip Randle | 3.36% | 215 | 223.51 | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,744 Valid: 6,405 (46.60%) Spoilt: 108 Quota: 1,068 Turnout: 6,513 (47.39%) ||||||||||

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

| Date co-opted | Electoral Area | Party | Outgoing | Co-optee | Reason |
| 8 September 2023 | Ballymena | Alliance | John Hyland | Jack Gibson | Hyland resigned. |
| 3 October 2023 | Carrick Castle | DUP | Cheryl Brownlee | David Clarke | Brownlee was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly. |
| 23 July 2024 | Bannside | TUV | Timothy Gaston | Anna Henry | Gaston was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly. |
| 13 August 2024 | Ballymena | UUP | Colin Crawford | Brian Thompson | Crawford was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly. |

### ‡ Changes in affiliation

| Date | Electoral Area | Name | Previous affiliation | Previous affiliation | New affiliation | New affiliation | Circumstance |
| 19 January 2024 | Carrick Castle | David Clarke | | DUP | | Independent | Left the DUP following claims of bullying. |
| 15 March 2024 | Carrick Castle | David Clarke | | Independent | | TUV | Joined the TUV. |