While traditional battle lines will be drawn across Mid Ulster the clash within nationalism is set to dominate when the north goes to the polls next week.
Stretching from the border to the foothills of the Sperrin mountains, the sprawling constituency includes parts of south Derry and of Co Tyrone.
While the majority of sitting councillors are bracing themselves for another term, six have opted to bow out.
Constituency notebooks:
- Nationalist parties look to make up lost ground in Fermanagh and Omagh
- DUP expected to maintain dominance in Causeway Coast and Glens
- Belfast City Council a microcosm of the north
- Derry and Strabane to test Sinn Féin overhaul
- Unionists likely to remain majority in Antrim, Newtownabbey - but SF, Alliance eyeing more gains
- DUP face nervous wait in unionist dominated Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
- Independents aim to return in Ards and North Down, while Sinn Féin hopes to score first ever seat
These include prominent UUP councillor Walter Cuddy, Kim Ashton, an ex-DUP special adviser to Arlene Foster, and Sinn Féin’s Phelim Gildernew.
A total of 66 candidates are set to slug it out for 40 seats in the nationalist controlled authority, which incorporates the old Magherafelt, Cookstown and Dungannon council areas.
A shift in demographics over the past half century has seen the gradual greening of several districts across the constituency once considered unionist.
And while the traditional headcount will be a feature on May 18, the battle for votes within a packed nationalist field has the potential to serve up a few surprises.
Keen observers will be keeping a close watch on the performance of five independent republican candidates in east Tyrone.
In an unusual move two sitting independents, Barry Montieth in Dungannon and Dan Kerr in Torrent, have added running mates to the ticket.
Mr Monteith is joined by Marian Vincent, while Dan Kerr will be hoping some of his 2019 success rubs off on Teresa Quinn.
Also in the mix this time around is independent Kevin McElvogue, who is bidding for a seat in Clogher Valley.
If successful, the combined independent push - dubbed ‘the drive for five’ - has the potential to be a talking point.
Any gains will be hard won as other contenders are sure to give nothing up without a fight.
Sinn Féin has opted to stand four candidates in the Torrent DEA, which includes Michelle O’Neill’s home town of Coalisland.
Sitting councillor Niall McAleer is joined by newcomers Paul Kelly, Nuala McLernon and Eimear Carney.
Although the SDLP’s Malachy Quinn, a poll topper in 2019, will be taking nothing for granted, his party will be confident about his chances of another strong performance.
Colum Eastwood will also be hoping to defy gloomy predictions by picking up a seat in the Moyola DEA through Denise Johnston, who fell short by just 90 votes last time out.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has its sights set on retaining its three councillors in Moyala, where veteran republican and former MLA Ian Milne topped the scoreboard last time out.
Elsewhere, the SDLP will also be looking to the experienced Martin Kearney to retain his seat in Carntogher.
The party lost a seat in Dungannon in 2019 when former member Denise Mullen transferred allegiance to Aontú.
Ms Mullen, who enjoys a high profile, will be hopeful of being returned.
Aontú has fielded two other candidates in Mid-Ulster, Noreen McEldowney in Carntogher and Sheila Fullerton in Moyola.
On the other side of the community divide the TUV will be pushing hard to capitalise on the party’s showing in last year’s assembly election and are running candidates in five of the districts DEAs.
With DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson continuing to take a hardline on the protocol, he will be hoping to hold off any challenge from Jim Allister’s party.
Carntogher
James Artt (TUV)
Kyle Black (DUP)
Córa Corry (Sinn Féin)
Martin Kearney (SDLP)
Paddy Kelly (Sinn Féin)
Noreen McEldowney (Aontú)
Brian McGuigan (Sinn Féin)
Sean McPeake (Sinn Féin)
Clogher Valley
Frances Burton (DUP)
Gael Gildernew (Sinn Féin)
Meta Graham (UUP)
Sharon McAleer (SDLP)
Eugene McConnell (Sinn Féin)
Kevin McElvogue (Independent)
Seán McGuigan (Sinn Féin)
Mark Robinson (DUP)
Cookstown
Gavin Bell (Sinn Féin)
Wilbert Buchanan (DUP)
Eva Cahoon (DUP)
Mark Glasgow (UUP)
Timmy Hagan (TUV)
Chris Hillcox (Alliance)
Cathal Mallaghan (Sinn Féin)
Kerri Martin (SDLP)
John McNamee (Sinn Féin)
Louise Taylor (Independent)
Trevor Wilson (UUP)
Dungannon
James Burton (DUP)
Gerry Cullen (Cross-Community Labour Alternative)
Clement Cuthbertson (DUP)
Claire Hackett (Alliance)
Ian Irwin (UUP)
Karol McQuade (SDLP)
Dominic Molloy (Sinn Féin)
Barry Monteith (Independent)
Denise Mullen (Aontú)
Kinley Tener (TUV)
Deirdre Varsani (Sinn Féin)
Marian Vincent (Independent)
Magherafelt
Ian Brown (UUP)
Wesley Brown (DUP)
Sean Clarke (Sinn Féin)
Padraic Farrell (Alliance)
Raymond Love (TUV)
Christine McFlynn (SDLP)
Paul McLean (DUP)
Darren Totten (Sinn Féin)
Moyola
Anne Forde (DUP)
Sheila Fullerton (Aontú)
Jolene Groogan (Sinn Féin)
Denise Johnston (SDLP)
Derek McKinney (UUP)
Donal McPeake (Sinn Féin)
Ian Milne (Sinn Féin)
Glenn Moore (TUV)
Caleb Ross (Alliance)
Torrent
Jonathan Buchanan (DUP)
Eimear Carney (Sinn Féin)
Robert Colvin (UUP)
Simon Graham (Alliance)
Paul Kelly (Sinn Féin)
Dan Kerr (Independent)
Niall McAleer (Sinn Féin)
Nuala McLernon (Sinn Féin)
Malachy Quinn (SDLP)
Teresa Quinn (Independent)
