US election candidate has strong Ballina roots

A man with strong Ballina connections is running for election in the United States.

Craig Hayes is seeking election as a progressive Democrat for Maryland State Delegate in District 22.

A dual Irish-US citizen, Craig is the son of Ballina woman Anna de Vere-Hayes. His late grandfather Edwin de Vere previously worked for the Western People and Craig is the great grandnephew of former Western People owners Fred and Vincent de Vere.

Voting has already got underway for the State’s June 23 Primary election. Craig is up against other Democrat candidates in the June Primary. As there are no Republican primary candidates in the district, the successful Democrat candidates will automatically be elected to the Maryland House of Delegates when a general election takes place on November 3.

“I am campaigning on a pro-labour and pro-democracy reform platform,” Craig told the Western People. “I have worked in campaigns for the last 20 years and I have seen how people feel like they don’t have a voice anymore. Some 45% of our population now identifies as Independent because they don’t feel that Republicans not the Democrats represent them. We see it at the polls; we don’t have great turnout rates. People don’t feel their government has responded to their needs. My solutions are to change how we are electing ourselves,” he added.

Craig said the first-past-the post voting system in some states is seeing candidates elected with 20% to 30% of the vote, leading to poor policy outcomes. He also supports special elections for state legislative vacancies in Maryland, and reforms on public financing for elections.

“I look to the rest of the world and the way we operate our democracy, and I know there are better ways. That’s why my primary focus is on. If we solve that then we can get some of the policies that we want passed and make sure the things we need funded are funded."

A political science graduate, Craig lives and breathes politics. Right out of High School he was a field organiser for Barack Obama.

“I fell in love with campaigning and political organising,” he says. “I want to get back to helping people solve problems they are having with their government and find a resolution for them."

Craig believes sections of the US electorate have become “inspired” by what has happened in New York City with the election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“People of my generation grew up inspired by Obama and then increasingly felt like we are getting further away from that type of politics. I think people now are energised for substance and for solving issues.” 

Craig is intensely proud of his Mayo and Irish background and the ties to his mother’s homeplace remain strong.

“I am very close to my family there. I have an Irish passport; I am a dual citizen. I look to Ireland as an inspiration as to how we should be running our elections,” said Craig.

“We have the connections to the Western People through our family. Ireland and County Mayo has a very special place in my heart,” he stated.