SWANSEA has a new councillor with a familiar surname after the husband of the late Wendy Fitzgerald, who represented Penllergaer for more than 20 years before her death in January, won a convincing by-election victory.
Tony Fitzgerald said he decided to run because people in Penllergaer suggested he should, and that he saw himself as the “continuity candidate”.
He polled 646 votes, way ahead of the second-placed Liberal Democrats candidate Howard Evans.
The new councillor said: “People were asking me, ‘Why don’t you do it?’ I thought if I have got a chance of winning I would go for it. I didn’t advertise it until almost the close of nominations.”
His election leaflet said Fitzgerald was “a name that get things done” and could be trusted “to put Penllergaer and its residents first”.
Cllr Fitzgerald said he used to discuss certain council-related issues with his late wife such as housing and roads but not individual casework. He said while delivering his leaflet in Penllergaer a person told him how his wife had helped them many years previously.
Cllr Fitzgerald said he intended to serve until the 2027 local Government elections, at which point he will be 82.
He grew up in Swansea and worked in IT before retiring. He served for nine years as a Penllergaer community councillor, including as chairman for two years. He said under his leadership the community council acquired the management of the former Miners’ Welfare Field from a trust. The land, he said, was now a well-regarded sports facility comprising two football pitches, a cricket pitch and pavilion.
Cllr Fitzgerald was also chairman of the official Independents@Swansea – the party his wife used to stand for and now he represents.
His wife was first elected as a councillor in 2004 and served as cabinet member for social services when the Independents@Swansea formed a ruling coalition with the Liberal Democrats. She died on New Year’s Day after a long battle with cancer, and was described by party leaders in Swansea as dedicated, hard-working, and well-respected.
“My priorities, like Wendy’s, are to support Penllergaer and its residents,” said Cllr Fitzgerald. He reported a pothole to the council on March 28, the day after the by-election, and said it had been fixed as per the council’s 48-hour pothole pledge.
He said electors had received a lot of election material from other candidates, particular the Liberal Democrats. “People were inundated with it,” he said.
Penllergaer by-election result, March 27
Tony Fitzgerald, Independents@Swansea, 646 votes
Howard Evans, Welsh Liberal Democrats, 138
Gareth Turner, Reform UK, 108
Marsha Phillips, Welsh Labour, 67
Jake Harry, Welsh Conservatives, 31
William Beasley, Wales Green Party, 18
Wayne Erasmus, Gwlad, 3
Turnout 34%
