{{Short description|Northern Irish politician (born 1990)}} {{for|the Australian motorcycle racer|Garry Middleton}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Gary Middleton | honorific_suffix = | image = Gary Middleton, DUP.jpg | caption = Middleton in March 2014 | office = Junior Minister at the Executive Office | term_start = 17 June 2021 | term_end = 5 May 2022 | alongside = Declan Kearney | predecessor = Gordon Lyons | successor = Aisling Reilly (2024) | term_start1 = 2 February 2021 | term_end1 = 8 March 2021<br>Acting | alongside1 = Declan Kearney | predecessor1 = Gordon Lyons | successor1 = Gordon Lyons | office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly<br>for Foyle | assembly2 = Northern Ireland | majority2 = | term_start2 = 13 April 2015 | term_end2 = 10 April 2026 | predecessor2 = Maurice Devenney | successor2 = Julie Middleton | office3 = Member of <br> Derry City and Strabane District Council | constituency3 = Faughan | term_start3 = 22 May 2014 | term_end3 = 13 April 2015 | predecessor3 = ''Council established'' | successor3 = Graham Warke | office4 = Deputy Mayor of Derry City Council | term_start4 = June 2013 | term_end4 = March 2015 | office5 = Member of <br> Derry City Council | constituency5 = Rural | term_start5 = 5 May 2011 | term_end5 = 22 May 2014 | predecessor5 = Willie Hay | successor5 = ''Council abolished'' | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|06|20|df=yes}} | birth_place = Newbuildings, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland | death_date = | spouse = Julie Middleton (m.2015) | party = Democratic Unionist Party | alma_mater = University of Ulster | occupation = Politician }}

'''Gary Middleton''' (born 20 June 1990) is a Unionist former politician from Northern Ireland representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He served as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 2015 until 2026. Middleton was the DUP Spokesperson for the North West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gary Middleton MLA |url=https://mydup.com/our-team/gary-middleton |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=DUP |language=en}}</ref>

He served as Acting Junior Minister for the Executive Office from February to March 2021 while Gordon Lyons was Acting Agriculture Minister while Edwin Poots stood aside due to ill health. In June 2021, Middleton replaced Lyons permanently as Junior Minister. Middleton resigned from politics in April 2026 due to concerns over his mental health.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/dup-mla-gary-middleton-to-resign-to-deal-with-mental-health-challenges/a/145447141.html|title=DUP MLA Gary Middleton to resign to deal with mental health challenges|first=Jonathan|last=McCambridge|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=9 April 2026}}</ref>

==Early life== Born in Newbuildings, County Londonderry, Middleton studied Computer Science at the University of Ulster, and also obtained a diploma in Civic Leadership and Community Planning from the same institution. Prior to becoming an MLA, he was a youth worker and also worked as an assistant to Foyle MLA William Hay and later Maurice Devenney, who was himself co-opted to replace William Hay in October 2014 upon the latter's retirement after being elevated to the House of Lords.<ref>{{cite news|last=McAdam|first=Noel|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/coopted-mla-quits-seat-after-five-months-31095298.html|title=Co-opted MLA quits seat after five months|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph|access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref>

==Electoral history== Middleton was first elected to Derry City Council in 2011 at the age of 20, replacing William Hay by co-option. He also served as Deputy Mayor from June 2013 – March 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mydup.com/who-we-are/gary-middleton|title=Who We Are - Gary Middleton|website=Mydup.com|access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref>

In 2014 he was elected to the new Derry and Strabane 'super council' and was appointed group leader of the DUP councillors. In April 2015, he was co-opted to replace fellow DUP member Maurice Devenney in the Northern Ireland Assembly, becoming the assembly's youngest member at 24.<ref name="londonderrysentinel1">{{cite news|url=http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/local-news/gary-middleton-pays-tribute-to-dup-colleagues-1-6677317|title=Gary Middleton pays tribute to DUP colleagues|newspaper=Londonderry Sentinel|access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref>

Shortly after joining the assembly, it was announced that Middleton would be the DUP's candidate for the Foyle constituency in the United Kingdom general election, eventually finishing a distant third with 12.4% of the vote.<ref name="londonderrysentinel1"/>

In April 2026, Middleton resigned as an MLA on mental health grounds, being replaced by his wife Julie Middleton.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClafferty |first=Enda |last2=Carlin |first2=Lucy |date=13 April 2026 |title=Foyle MLA Julie Middleton targeted by misogynistic attacks online |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2ev4ldr8lko |access-date=16 April 2026 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

{{Election box begin | title=General Election 2015: Foyle}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Social Democratic and Labour Party |candidate = Mark Durkan |votes = 17,725 |percentage = 47.9 |change = +3.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Sinn Féin |candidate = Gearóid Ó hEára |votes = 11,679 |percentage = 31.6 |change = &minus;0.4 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Democratic Unionist Party |candidate = Gary Middleton |votes = 4,573 |percentage = 12.4 |change = +0.5 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Ulster Unionist Party |candidate = Julia Kee |votes = 1,226 |percentage = 3.3 |change = +0.1 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland |candidate = David Hawthorne |votes = 835 |percentage = 2.3 |change = +1.7 }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Kyle Thompson |votes = 832 |percentage = 2.2 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Northern Ireland Conservatives |candidate = Hamish Badenoch |votes = 132 |percentage = 0.4 |change = ''N/A'' }} {{Election box majority| |votes = 6,046 |percentage = 16.3 |change = }} {{Election box turnout| |votes = 37,002 |percentage = 52.8 |change = &minus;4.7 }} {{Election box hold with party link| |winner = Social Democratic and Labour Party |swing = }} {{Election box end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.mydup.com/who-we-are/gary-middleton DUP profile] *[http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=10209&per=5043&sel=1&ind=0&prv=0 NI Assembly profile]

{{s-start}} {{s-par|ni/ass}} {{s-bef | before = Maurice Devenney }} {{s-ttl | title = MLA for Foyle | years = 2015–present }} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}

{{Democratic Unionist Party}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, Gary}} Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Councillors in Derry (city) Category:Democratic Unionist Party councillors Category:Democratic Unionist Party MLAs Category:Democratic Unionist Party parliamentary candidates Category:Deputy mayors of places in the United Kingdom Category:Members of Derry City and Strabane District Council Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016 Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017 Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022 Category:People from County Londonderry Category:Spouses of Irish politicians