He ran as the Fine Gael candidate in the 2014 Dublin West by-election. During an election debate on Tonight with Vincent Browne, he baffled viewers and panel members by telling a bizarre anecdote, including an impersonation, about a constituent he had met during his canvass. His campaign largely "fell flat on its face" according to a Fine Gael minister, despite the party putting significant resources into the constituency He polled 3,788 first preference votes, placing fifth in the contest and being eliminated on the fourth count. This was a 1.9% drop in the Fine Gael vote, compared to the previous by-election result in the same constituency.