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In a stunning development, a key main hopefuls in Ireland's election for president has withdrawn from the race, reshaping the election dynamics.

Sudden Exit Reconfigures Campaign Landscape

Fianna Fáil's presidential hopeful stepped down on the evening of Sunday following reports about an outstanding payment to a previous occupant, converting the contest into an volatile direct competition between a centre-right past cabinet member and an non-aligned left-leaning parliamentarian.

Gavin, 54, a inexperienced candidate who entered the race after careers in sport, aviation and the military, stepped aside after it was revealed he had neglected to refund a rent overpayment of €3,300 when he was a lessor about a decade and a half ago, during a period of financial difficulty.

"It was my fault that was not in keeping with my values and the principles I uphold. I am currently resolving the issue," he said. "After careful consideration, about the potential impact of the continuing election battle on the wellbeing of my loved ones and companions.

"Weighing all these factors, I've chosen to exit from the race for the presidency with immediate action and go back to my family."

Race Narrowed to Leading Candidates

The most dramatic event in a presidential campaign in living memory reduced the field to Heather Humphreys, a former cabinet minister who is campaigning for the governing moderate right Fine Gael party, and Catherine Connolly, an frank supporter of Palestinian rights who is supported by Sinn Féin and left-leaning minor parties.

Crisis for Leadership

Gavin's exit also caused a problem for the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, who had risked his standing by choosing an untried candidate over the skepticism of associates in the party.

Martin said Gavin did not want to "cause dispute" to the presidency and was justified in leaving. "Gavin recognized that he committed a mistake in relation to an matter that has come up lately."

Campaign Struggles

Although known for capability and achievements in business and sport – Gavin had steered the capital's GAA team to five consecutive championship victories – his election effort faltered through gaffes that caused him to fall behind in an survey even prior to the financial revelation.

Party members who had been against choosing the candidate said the episode was a "major error in judgment" that would have "repercussions" – a thinly veiled warning to the leader.

Ballot Process

The candidate's name may still appear for selection in the poll taking place in late October, which will conclude the lengthy term of Michael D Higgins, but voters now face a two options between a mainstream moderate hopeful and an autonomous progressive. A poll taken before Gavin's exit gave Connolly a third of the vote and Humphreys nearly a quarter, with the former candidate at 15 percent.

As per election guidelines, people pick candidates in order of preference. In case nobody reaches 50% on the first count, the hopeful with the fewest first preference votes is excluded and their votes are transferred to the following option.

Likely Support Redistribution

Analysts predicted that should Gavin be removed, most of his votes would shift to the other candidate, and the other way around, boosting the chance that a mainstream contender would attain the presidency for the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition.

Role of the Presidency

The presidency is a mostly representative role but the current and former presidents transformed it into a stage for international matters.

Final Contenders

Connolly, 68, from Galway, would bring a strong leftwing voice to that heritage. She has criticized neoliberal economics and stated the group represents "a fundamental element" of the people of Palestine. She has accused Nato of militarism and equated Berlin's enhanced defense expenditure to the pre-war era, when Adolf Hitler rearmed the country.

The 62-year-old Humphreys, has faced scrutiny over her time in office in governments that presided over a property shortage. As a Protestant from the border county of Monaghan, she has also been questioned about her lack of Irish language skills but commented her faith tradition could assist in gaining loyalists in the North in a united Ireland.