# Gary Middleton > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gary_Middleton > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gary_Middleton.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Middleton > Source revision: 1349540157 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{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](/source/Junior_Minister_(Northern_Ireland)) at the [Executive Office](/source/Executive_Office_(Northern_Ireland)) | term_start = 17 June 2021 | term_end = 5 May 2022 | alongside = [Declan Kearney](/source/Declan_Kearney) | predecessor = [Gordon Lyons](/source/Gordon_Lyons) | successor = [Aisling Reilly](/source/Aisling_Reilly) (2024) | term_start1 = 2 February 2021 | term_end1 = 8 March 2021
Acting | alongside1 = [Declan Kearney](/source/Declan_Kearney) | predecessor1 = [Gordon Lyons](/source/Gordon_Lyons) | successor1 = [Gordon Lyons](/source/Gordon_Lyons) | office2 = [Member of the Legislative Assembly](/source/Member_of_the_Legislative_Assembly_(Northern_Ireland))
for [Foyle](/source/Foyle_(Assembly_constituency)) | assembly2 = Northern Ireland | majority2 = | term_start2 = 13 April 2015 | term_end2 = 10 April 2026 | predecessor2 = [Maurice Devenney](/source/Maurice_Devenney) | successor2 = [Julie Middleton](/source/Julie_Middleton) | office3 = Member of
[Derry City and Strabane District Council](/source/Derry_City_and_Strabane_District_Council) | constituency3 = [Faughan](/source/Faughan_(District_Electoral_Area)) | term_start3 = 22 May 2014 | term_end3 = 13 April 2015 | predecessor3 = ''Council established'' | successor3 = Graham Warke | office4 = Deputy Mayor of [Derry City Council](/source/Derry_City_Council) | term_start4 = June 2013 | term_end4 = March 2015 | office5 = Member of
[Derry City Council](/source/Derry_City_Council) | constituency5 = [Rural](/source/Rural_(District_Electoral_Area)) | term_start5 = 5 May 2011 | term_end5 = 22 May 2014 | predecessor5 = [Willie Hay](/source/Willie_Hay%2C_Baron_Hay_of_Ballyore) | successor5 = ''Council abolished'' | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|06|20|df=yes}} | birth_place = [Newbuildings](/source/Newbuildings), [County Londonderry](/source/County_Londonderry), [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland) | death_date = | spouse = [Julie Middleton](/source/Julie_Middleton) (m.2015) | party = [Democratic Unionist Party](/source/Democratic_Unionist_Party) | alma_mater = [University of Ulster](/source/University_of_Ulster) | occupation = Politician }} '''Gary Middleton''' (born 20 June 1990) is a [Unionist](/source/Unionism_in_Ireland) former politician from [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland) representing the [Democratic Unionist Party](/source/Democratic_Unionist_Party) (DUP). He served as a member of the [Northern Ireland Assembly](/source/Northern_Ireland_Assembly) (MLA) for [Foyle](/source/Foyle_(Assembly_constituency)) from 2015 until 2026. Middleton was the DUP Spokesperson for the North West.{{Cite web |title=Gary Middleton MLA |url=https://mydup.com/our-team/gary-middleton |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=DUP |language=en}} He served as Acting Junior Minister for the Executive Office from February to March 2021 while [Gordon Lyons](/source/Gordon_Lyons) was Acting Agriculture Minister while [Edwin Poots](/source/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.{{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}} ==Early life== Born in [Newbuildings](/source/Newbuildings), [County Londonderry](/source/County_Londonderry), Middleton studied Computer Science at the [University of Ulster](/source/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](/source/William_Hay%2C_Baron_Hay_of_Ballyore) and later [Maurice Devenney](/source/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](/source/House_of_Lords).{{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}} ==Electoral history== Middleton was first elected to [Derry City Council](/source/Derry_City_Council) in 2011 at the age of 20, replacing [William Hay](/source/William_Hay%2C_Baron_Hay_of_Ballyore) by [co-option](/source/co-option). He also served as Deputy Mayor from June 2013 – March 2015.{{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}} In 2014 he was elected to the new [Derry and Strabane](/source/Derry_and_Strabane_District_Council) '[super council](/source/Reform_of_local_government_in_Northern_Ireland)' and was appointed group leader of the DUP councillors. In April 2015, he was co-opted to replace fellow [DUP](/source/Democratic_Unionist_Party) member [Maurice Devenney](/source/Maurice_Devenney) in the [Northern Ireland Assembly](/source/Northern_Ireland_Assembly), becoming the assembly's youngest member at 24.{{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](/source/Londonderry_Sentinel)|access-date=8 August 2016}} Shortly after joining the assembly, it was announced that Middleton would be the DUP's candidate for the [Foyle constituency](/source/Foyle_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in the [United Kingdom general election](/source/2015_United_Kingdom_general_election), eventually finishing a distant third with 12.4% of the vote. In April 2026, Middleton resigned as an MLA on mental health grounds, being replaced by his wife [Julie Middleton](/source/Julie_Middleton).{{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}} {{Election box begin | title=[General Election 2015](/source/2015_United_Kingdom_general_election): Foyle}} {{Election box candidate with party link| |party = Social Democratic and Labour Party |candidate = [Mark Durkan](/source/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 = −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](/source/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 = −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](/source/Maurice_Devenney) }} {{s-ttl | title = [MLA](/source/Member_of_the_Legislative_Assembly_(Northern_Ireland)) for [Foyle](/source/Foyle_(Assembly_constituency)) | 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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gary Middleton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Middleton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Middleton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.