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In a surprising turn of events, a key leading hopefuls in Ireland's election for president has left the campaign, upending the political landscape.

Withdrawal Announcement Shakes Up Campaign Landscape

The party's presidential hopeful pulled out on the evening of Sunday following reports about an outstanding payment to a former tenant, turning the contest into an volatile two-horse race between a moderate right former government minister and an autonomous progressive parliamentarian.

Gavin, 54, a political novice who entered the election after careers in sport, aviation and the military, quit after it emerged he had not repaid a overpaid rent of €3,300 when he was a landlord about a decade and a half ago, during a period of financial difficulty.

"I committed an error that was contrary to who I am and the standards I set myself. Corrective actions are underway," he stated. "After careful consideration, concerning the influence of the continuing election battle on the wellbeing of my loved ones and companions.

"After evaluating everything, I've chosen to exit from the campaign for president with immediate action and return to the arms of my family."

Race Narrowed to Primary Hopefuls

The biggest shock in a election race in living memory narrowed the contest to one candidate, a former cabinet minister who is campaigning for the governing moderate right political party Fine Gael, and Catherine Connolly, an vocal pro-Palestinian voice who is endorsed by Sinn Féin and left-leaning minor parties.

Crisis for Leadership

The withdrawal also caused a problem for the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, who had staked his authority by selecting an untried candidate over the skepticism of fellow members.

He commented the candidate wished to avoid "cause dispute" to the presidency and was justified in leaving. "Jim has accepted that he made an error in relation to an issue that has arisen in recent days."

Election Challenges

Although known for skill and accomplishments in business and sport – under his leadership the Dublin football squad to five straight titles – his political bid struggled through blunders that put him at a disadvantage in an opinion poll even prior to the financial revelation.

Party members who had opposed selecting the candidate said the episode was a "serious miscalculation" that would have "ramifications" – a barely concealed caution to Martin.

Ballot Process

Gavin's name may still appear for selection in the election on 24 October, which will conclude the lengthy term of the current president, but the electorate now confronts a two options between a mainstream moderate hopeful and an non-aligned left-leaning candidate. Survey results prior to the withdrawal gave Connolly 32% support and 23 percent for Humphreys, with Gavin on 15%.

Under electoral rules, voters select candidates in order of preference. Should no contender surpass half the votes initially, the hopeful with the fewest first preference votes is excluded and their support is passed to the next preference.

Likely Support Redistribution

Observers anticipated that if Gavin was eliminated, the bulk of his support would transfer to Humphreys, and vice versa, boosting the chance that a establishment hopeful would attain the presidency for the allied parties.

Presidential Duties

The presidency is a largely symbolic post but Higgins and his predecessors transformed it into a venue for worldwide concerns.

Surviving Hopefuls

The 68-year-old Connolly, from Galway, would bring a strong leftwing voice to that tradition. Connolly has attacked capitalist systems and stated the group represents "a fundamental element" of the people of Palestine. She has accused the alliance of warmongering and likened Germany's increased defence spending to the pre-war era, when Adolf Hitler rearmed the country.

The 62-year-old Humphreys, has been subjected to review over her performance in government in cabinets that oversaw a property shortage. As a Protestant from the border county of Monaghan, she has also been questioned about her inability to speak Irish but stated her religious background could help win over unionist community in a combined country.