In the Irish presidential election in 1973 with President de Valera constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, Fianna Fáil sought to get former Tánaiste Frank Aiken to run for the presidency. He however declined. Under pressure, former Tánaiste Erskine Hamilton Childers agreed to run. The odds on favourite was Fine Gael deputy leader, Tom O'Higgins, who had come within 1% of defeating Eamon de Valera in the 1966 presidential election. In a political upset, Erskine Childers won the presidency easily.