PLP: Dawn Simmons To Run In Paget
[Updated] This afternoon [Feb.6] the Progressive Labour Party announced that PLP executive officer J. Dawn Simmons will represent them in Constituency #22 Paget East.
The One Bermuda Alliance has previously confirmed that Dr Grant Gibbons will stand for the OBA in Constituency #22, the seat he presently holds. Dr Gibbons [under the UBP] won with 77% of the vote against the PLP’s Davida Morris [723-212] in the 2007 election.
Ms Simmons had previously put her name forward for Constituency #35 Sandys North Central, but when the PLP held their candidate selection meeting on September 26 Dennis Lister won over Ms Simmons.
Speaking at the press conference, Ms Simmons said she will be out canvassing and meeting area residents, and asked Paget voters to “take a different route to what they have traditionally taken.”
Ms. Simmons was educated at West End Primary School in Sandys Parish, and received her secondary education at The Berkeley Institute. She then attended the Bermuda College and obtained her Certificate in Front Office Reception in 1981, and then travelled overseas to obtain her Associates Degree in Applied Science from the Berkeley School in New Jersey (1982). Her most recent educational pursuit was to attend The Women’s Campaign School at Yale University.
Professionally, Ms. Simmons has worked at Department of Education, Ministry of Finance and spent 13 years at XL Capital. At XL Capital she worked in a variety of roles culminating in her promotion to the position of IT Trainer. She joined the staff of PLP Headquarters as Executive Officer in 2010.
She has served as PTSA President at all three institutions of which her son has attended – West End Primary, Sandys Secondary Middle School, and currently The Berkeley Institute. In addition, she has served as a Meals on Wheels volunteer since 2006. She currently attends Mount Zion A.M.E Church.
Update: Ms Simmons’ full statement is below, click ‘Fullscreen’ for greater clarity
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Well done! Another shining example of a community servant. Dawn’s involvement in communityorganisations is well known and this shows the standard of PLP candidates. Well done and Good Luck. Unfortunately this is a hard area for PLP to win but ask the voters what has Grant Gibbons done for them lately?! Perhaps they will make a different choice this time!
Thanks for your support! We are working hard to make a change in C22 and Ms. Simmons will help take us there!
And C22 really needs change. Pot holes galore in the roads, trash everywhere, roadside hedges untrimmed, Railway Trail signs rusting and falling down, shootings, robberies, break ins, feral chickens & cats everywhere, street lights out all over the place, very poor bus & ferry service, excessively loud bikes, police cars, ambulances, fire trucks & cars racing everywhere, nasty Bermudians writing hateful comments towards foreign workers etc. And that is the short list
@ Rocky Skink Too: You are talking about the whole island! Bermuda needs a change.
@ Ms. Simmons: I wish you all the best, but that’s the same area they used to run my Mom – some reward for a party stalwart, an area where the likelihood of getting voted in is slim to non-existent. And, loyal party supporter that she was, she agreed so they could run a full slate, and she campaigned (and I campaigned with her) and had many doors slammed in her face. I hope your experience is better. I think the people are less rude and less out-right racist, but your party has not endeared itself to voters in that area, or in many other areas. Sad really, we had such high hopes in 1998.
It is unlikely she will win, the area being a VERY secure anti-PLP stronghold. However, if the PLP were to actually devote resources to the area there is a chance of narrowing the gap and developing a foothold for the long-term. It may take a couple more elections, but still. Understandably the Party will want to commit resources to more ‘winnable’ seats, but if they’re going to run a candidate there they should at least do the best job they can, meaning provide enough ‘boots on the ground’ to adequately cover the constituency.
Starling for a billion dollar buget I really don’t see a reason that the up keep of the constituency before and after the election should be a problem. Guess thats how much they care for their fellow country men and weman in constituencies that may be anti-plp. “if the PLP were to actually devote resources to the area there is a chance of narrowing the gap and developing a foothold for the long-term.” And that is really the point isn’t it.
LOL
She’s gonna get slaughtered. I wonder why Davida Morris became disalluisioned with the PLP… Hmmm !!
Ain’t that the pyramid scheme guy ?
We are a motivated team behind her – perhaps this time, we’ll see a change!
)
Can’t wait for some change from a real motivated team behind her! Should be really exciting. Too bad her Party has done such a poor job running Bermuda’s Govt for the past 14 years. May be she has learned all the things not to do, in her job as the executive director.
It’s official. On the most critical policy facing Bermuda today, Craig Cannonier has admitted that his party’s solution to the jobs crisis is to bring more guest workers to our shores.
lol at Pyramid guy!
re pyramid scheme, are you referring to the PLP’s financial and budget plans?
She pulled out of 34 where Kim Wilson won the nomination. She lost to Dennis Lister in 35. If she can’t even win over PLP branch support in the area where she lives, it’s not going to be pretty elsewhere. This is going to be a blood bath. She’s gonna get slaughtered in 22.
Hopefully, we can prove the ‘nay sayers’ wrong in this one! We’re going to try our best to make a change in C22!
Take the other day bizarre challenge by Bob Richards to debate Premier Paula Cox. Isn’t that a challenge that the leader of their party should be making? Or, are they so afraid that their leader is too much of, as Bob Richards said, a “colt” to take on the challenge of debating the Premier? And, if Craig is too much of a colt to debate Premier Cox, isn’t he too much of a colt to lead the country?
The Premier is just the Premier. Nothing happenbs without somebody signing the checks. That would be the Finance Minister. Paula Cox happens to be the Finance Minister. Bob Richards happens to be the shadow Finance Minister.
Appropriate match for a debate.
No, she will not rise to the challenge. She is in a pool way over her head & she knows it. Her record shows it. Bob Richards would leave her floundering in her sea of fancy words which don’t mean a thing.
It’s the OBA Finance spokesman suggesting a debate with the PLP Finance Minister. Try to keep up, it isn’t that difficult.
F*ck I hate PLP supporters. Are you that blind or just stupid? Just shut up please. Your premier is a damn fool, I don’t know why you have such confidence in someone who does such a horrible f*cking job running this country. I’m willing to bet that you only support the PLP because all the stupid things she has done doesn’t affect you in any way. You’re probably retired, have your house and car paid off and don’t own money on a bank loan. That’s all good for you, but for a young person such as myself, this woman and her kool-aid drinking fellowship are making life harder for people like me everyday they are in power.
So please take your s$#t elsewhere, there aren’t any PLP lovers around here.
correction, I meant to say owe
Wow! You hate me and you don’t even know me. Here’s a bit of info to clear things up: I am 44 and currently working (not retired), my house is not paid off yet and won’t be for a few decades, I don’t have a car, only a bike which is paid off and I can certainly confirm that I do owe 2 banks money…still I chose to support the PLP. So I guess in your books that makes me either ‘blind’, which I am not – although I do wear glasses OR ‘just stupid’, which I am not either. Why is it so impossible for you to accept that to support another party than yours is perhaps being clear-sighted and/or intelligent? I think it’s important to separate a Political Party’s vision and mission from how certain individuals within a Party may behave like within Government. I don’t like what seems to be taking place in certain areas of Gov’t either, but it doesn’t make me give up on my Party. I am a Patriots fan but I won’t switch to the Giants just because they won…
I was not talking to you. Learn how to use the internet and pay attention to the fact that my reply is to mad dawg
@ Think About It …I hate you and people like you…
@Rhonda- You don’t hate me. You hate that your name is Rhonda, and that you’re not as smart as the people who don’t support the PLP.
I’ve said nothing to you or anyone hear that would warrant you to hate me. Grow the hell up
It’s great having people like you in the community @Think about it – it makes the rest of us look good. No need to be rude – smh
@white girl- How was I being rude. Don’t be like the PLP, explain yourself. How have you come to the conclusion that I have been rude?
They should have put Zane in #22 to see if he could win a difficult seat. he hasn’t got the guts I guess. So they put a complete no-hoper in.
Those of us working to bring change in C22 have hope. Ms. Simmons is NOT a ‘complete no-hoper’ to us…having little change in C22 over the years makes me feel ‘no-hope’.
Yeah, well I’m ‘hoping’ for a Ferrari for my birthday, but it ain’t gonna happen.
Little change in C22? Well thank goodness for that, something is still the same after 13 years, because Bermuda as a whole has been seriously damaged economically and socially.
But if you are correct, why not see if Grant Gibbons has the ‘guts’ to run in – hmmmm, let’s say C13 – Devonshire North Central. Is C22 not perceived as a safe seat for him? What’s the difference here?
I thought you said she’s ‘not a no-hoper’? Riiight.
Maybe Cox should run in 22!
Well done Dawn! You’re a shining example of a community activist. We are proud of you.
Keep your head up and all the best!
Thanks for your support!
Are you Dawn? Your name says white girl? Confused If you are a white lady at 44 your hardly a girl what did you think about the Christopher Wentworth forgive me if I have his name worng to me he’s the all white people have a pre determined genetic bais against the PLP? He is/was the PLP press secritary at the time of the comment was he not which means he speaks for the party correct. Either way someone in the PLP is lying……………………
LOL
I meant is a shinning beacon of trust and integrity……….
LOL
@ LOL original No she is not Dawn, and yes she is a white women who actually is an active member of the PLP. She’s not just pretending to have “tried it out” like somebody I know. I really don’t see your point mentioning her age and saying that’s “hardly a girl”. Its her pin name she can call herself whatever she wants, as you do. LOL hardly describes you, but its your pin name right? Also I can’t understand why you can’t accept the fact the that PLP has white members who are comfortable in the party. Why are you digging and trying to be divisive?
Pathetic truly pathetic you know what I have said in the past in correct. I know you wish you were a PLP Minister but it isn’t going to happen in this or any life time mate. Mr. Starling is in this thread too I believe you called him a liar last time we spoke ie RG article. Yes I did try out the PLP that’s what PM was for me a try out to see if the group I was trying out would be a fit. It wasn’t for reasons previously stated. I stand by what I have said.
LOL cause I have a good laugh at the PLP PR (political robots) spin everything. Divisive what did you think about Christopher Wentworth’s PLP’s press secretary that stated all white people have a genetic predisposition towards the PLP. (I assume that you can see the irony if what you say is true about white members of the PLP which I argue you can count on your hands one time around).
@ real talk, at least she has put herself forward to be involved in the process, unlike most of you who sit on the side line and just talk smack about every and anybody. Go Dawn
I’m not religious, but I’ll give an AMEN to that comment!
Somebody’s gotta talk smack!
Run Burch in 22 – put her in Burch’s riding.
I can not believe that Burch, would be allowed to run again for the P,L.P. think about it this man ?? and our former premier allowed four unwelcomed men here !!!
Burch, also has a history of being anti white…Paula Cox should be ashamed of herself allowing this horrible man to be a part of her government….and is the ex bank robber still being paid as her personal consultant ?
Burgess and Cox should resign… Bermuda we need to wake up and get these fools out….and what is our premiers husband invoved in ?
“Paula Cox should be ashamed of herself allowing this horrible man to be a part of her government.”
It’s really not her call anymore. She has lost most of her power. The Central Committee core haters are supporting Birch and Burgess because those two better represent the CC’s ideals. They could care less about you and me.
I also understand that the BIU is making decisions for the PLP. So it really IS the PLP/BIU Party now.
Congrats Dawn on being selected to contest C22. I commend you for stepping up to the challenge and taking on what is considered a “safe seat” for the opposition. You are a very hard worker and truly have what’s best for Bermuda at heart . You are strong and committed and I have no doubt that you can win this seat. Bermuda can only benefit by electing a woman of your standard.
Give me a break…..stepping up to the challege !!!Dawn you will not win this seat….Dawn you are being used…. wake up girl !!!!!!!!!!!!
Why not contact her yourself one-on-one to share your deep concern for her best interest? Or do you feel that she isn’t ‘awake’ enough to know what she wants and needs you to tell her?? Just wondering…
@ Pepper, Give yourself a break. She has put herself up to the task regardless of the odds. With hard work she can win this seat, and hard work is one of her greatest qualities. Its so funny how OBA members laugh at the thought of a PLP candidate winning a Opposition “safe seat”, yet not only think that OBA candidates can win PLP “safe seats”, but the election also. Don’t be so full of yourselves OBA. As I say to PLP candidates don’t take a seat for granted, put in the work people deserve so that you win their vote, because your not entitled to it. So yes I commend her for stepping up to the challenge.
I agree – put her in Burch’s safe seat.
I totally agree! As a member of the C22 PLP Committee, I can honestly say that it has been wonderful working with Ms. Simmons – she certainly has the Community at the centre of everything she does!
In that case she’s not a very good ‘fit’ for PLP/BIU Party.
I’m sure all the voters in C22 can’t wait to meet this young Bermudian lady and discuss the PLP’s vision for Bermuda, even if it has nothing to do with most of them. I’m sure you can convince them that voting for the PLP is the only way to guarantee that they will continue to have the same type of PLP government that we have had for the past 14 years.
I think she had a little trouble (on the news) reading her own speech.
If it was actually her who wrote it. Didn’t appear that way.
I can confirm with you both that Ms. Simmons did in fact write her own speech. Could it be possible that with all of the cameras pointing her way and all of the negative comments/questions that were and will be directed towards her that she was a bit nervous? I mean, just look at some of these comments on this page alone. How many of us would have been able to read our own speech with that kind of pressure and not skip a beat…compassion, people, compassion.
Face it, she stands no chance. I think we’re done here.
If she can’t handle TV cameras pointing at her and negative comments about her on a news message board then she will not survive in politics. This is a game for thick skinned people with seriously hard balls.
I’d be very nervous myself running for the PLP in C22. There’s alotta pit bulls in the neighbourhood
Balls? Really…
Perhaps the Ewart Brown phrase of ‘testicular fortitude’ might be one you like better.
Nope —
Sorry I won’t be voting for her
Even without meeting her or hearing what she has to say? It’s a shame that you have already made your decision without hearing EITHER Party’s platform or even meeting our new Candidate. So what are you basing your decision on – Grant Gibbon’s “effective” support and representation of Paget East?
White Girl, I must agree with Paget #22. I won’t be voting for her either… nor will I even entertain meeting her (at least I’m courteous enough to not waste her time)! She won’t get my vote simply because her party, the PLP, have done nothing but take from the people of Bermuda while instilling hatred throughout our community. They’re obviously no good at running this country, and if you don’t realize that then you certainly are a fool! WAKE UP!
I hope that you don’t slam the door on us when we come by your home. Open mind – open heart, no?? So tell me, what has the OBA done for you???
At the very least openly has been about “all” Bermudains of any race. For a start.
LOL
When the PLP was formed, Bermuda was still suffering from centuries of race-oriented policies and an oligarchal Government. It was a veritable feudal system, with only land-owners having the right to vote (they retained an extra or “plus” vote until the late 1960s, even after the right to vote at the age of twenty-five years was achieved). Additionally, racial discrimination was widely practised in the churches, the school system and the employment sector……
No question, the land owner’s ‘plus vote’ was an underhanded advantage to whites who owned land in multiple parishes at the time.
Today things are different. The plus vote might not be a bad idea to reintroduce. Sir John Swan created many land owning blacks. There are many more since his time.
Land owners have far more invested in Bermuda than non land owners. They stand to lose far more from poor governance than non land owners. In the past few years Bermuda landowners have lost millions, perhaps billions, in depreciated land value because of poor PLP governance.
One would think that they would be far more thoughtful with their vote than those who vote race or because some party has a catchy campaign jingle.
So what?! The PLP assumed power in 1998, when pretty much all of that was not an issue anymore. What point are you trying to make?
TAI, take the time to reread what I wrote, every word. don’t just skim across every third word once & think you have read something.
After you have read & understood the message, Think about it before being in a rush to respond.
I WAS NOT TALKING TO YOU!!!!!! I was talking to Mad Dawg! Just because my post follows yours does not mean I am speaking to you.
Stop being so dense
Please, please don’t mix me up with Maddog. Our names are similar but that’s where it ends.
I saw her on TV, she looked like a deer in the headlights. Didn’t sound confident when she spoke…
She was completely out of her depth. Looked terrified and unable to speak properly. And then the Premier was rude to Charles Webbe for having the temerity to ask a question that the news viewers and her prospective voters might be interested in. I didnt get any sense she would be able to address anything without having a grown-up with her.
Mad Dawg she answered 5 questions from Charles Webbe and the other Reporter the Premier answered ONE she handled herself well and is new in the political arena with time she will mature… on the other hand you sit on you A** all day and have nothing better to do then to mislead and lash others get up off your computer and make something of yourself
Is Mr 17 your name because that’s your IQ, or your age?
So why the brush-off of the reporter, who asked a perfectly reasonable question, if she’s so great as a candidate? She couldn’t handle it, that’s why.
You are running in gibbons hood. Ms. Simmons don’t thank anyone yet.
Please tell me ‘what not a politican’ is, as this phrase seems to be used by those you won’t put themselves forward very often.
She did fumble a bit…with her own speech. Nice sweet girl. Not a politician. Just because you serve the party diligently for 20 years by attending every single cc meeting does not mean you “deserve” to be a mp or senator. didnt the laverne furbert and cromwell shakir experiment show us that? The Premier does recognize this which is why she is in a seat she will never win..wanting to give thanks and appreciation by giving her a brief time at the front line but knowing she wont see her across her cabinet table and lo and behold have to give her a ministry to run!
With respect to the “being used” comment – aren’t all candidates being “used” by the respective executives to lure support to their parties…such an ignorant statement. Did you see the smug look on Grant Gibbons face at the roll out of Alexis Swan – one of his employees….as a OBA candidate…
Grant Gibbons always has a smug look about himself. Lt Col Burch always looks devious. Chris Furburt always looks angry.
What is your point?
The test is not being nice and sweet and good when you are campaigning…..its being the same if you are elected…..present Government is a good example……In the words of our esteemed and fearless leader the new campaign slogan should be “That’s not kosher”….
congrats to you Ms Simmons, just one thing I could not understand why Madam Premier did not want the VSB reporter to ask you a VERY revelant question. After all it was your choice to run for PUBLIC office. In todays Bermuda there are NO easy questions you will be hearing more of the same when you knock at people’s door. Wish you luck.
Congrats and Relevant that is,lol.
Congratulations to Ms. Dawn Simmons for being selected as the PLP Candidate to represent Constituency # 22 in the next General Election.
I wish you every success in your bid to represent the Constituents of # 22.
Blessings…
@WHITE gIRL….UMM SO NOW YOUR WORKING WITH c22 AND YOU FEEL IT IS YOUR JOB NOW TO COME IN HERE AND TALK UP THE s__t pee L pee GOVERNMENT!!!
hahajaHAHAJA who’s being used now!?
i don’t have a racist bone in my body but l hate the pee l pee because they are all about taking…take, take , take because they think they are owed it….HAHA!
You people need to do less talking and more WORK over at the pee L pee headquarters….and ALL the government workers too, lazy Bas&ards.
BIU/pee L pee Party….yee haaa, we are black…woo hoo we have the check book, wee wee lets book a whole bunch of first class tickets away to dumb seminars that mean nothing to our country, yee yaaa, lets stick it too the white man………