A NEW OPINION poll has placed Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys just ahead of the chasing pack of candidates in the bid to become president.

However, the poll has Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald breathing down her neck – but the Dublin TD ruled herself out of standing for the role earlier this week.

The poll was taken from Thursday 4 September to Tuesday 9 September for Red C with the Business Post, with McDonald having revealing she would not put herself forward on the Monday in an interview with RTÉ.

Humphreys has her nose in front on 22%, McDonald is on 21% and up next is Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin on 18%

Independent Catherine Connolly – who has the backing of a number of parties on the left – is just behind on 17%.

There is clear water at present between those candidates and a raft of others who are yet to secure enough support to gain a place on the ballot.

First up of this group is the 2018 runner-up Peter Casey (7%), the Aontú-backed conservative campaigner Maria Steen (5%), lawyer turned doggy daycare owner Nick Delehanty (4%) and entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan (2%).

Polling for Presidential election for @businessposthq sees Humphries lead the field, with Mary Lou McDonald polling strongly suggesting she would have been in the hunt had she run. Gavin sits in 3rd, once Kelleher votes redistributed, and Connelly in 4th. Others some way behind. pic.twitter.com/TqfkCSSYKT

— RED C Research (@REDCResearch) September 13, 2025

But a question remains as to what becomes of the 21% of support declared to McDonald if Sinn Féin decides not to run a candidate.

The party is to make a decision on whether it will contest or the race – or throw in behind a candidate like Connolly – later this month.