The 1946 Down by-election was held on 6 June 1946, following the death of James Little, the independent Unionist Member of Parliament for Down.
Little resigned from the party in protest at this, and easily held his seat as an Independent Ulster Unionist.
They stood C. H. Mullan, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy,[2] who had unsuccessfully contested South Down at the 1945 Northern Ireland general election.
The Northern Ireland Labour Party had generally performed well at the 1945 election, although it did not win any seats.
Donnelly was elected MP for Pembrokeshire in 1950 and enjoyed a colourful career, eventually joining the Conservative Party.