Videos: PLP’s Marc Bean Wins Bye-Election
[Updated] As was widely expected by political observers, former Government Senator Marc Bean romped to victory tonight [Dec. 15] in the Warwick South Central bye-election, with the Progressive Labour Party candidate retaining the seat held for 17 years by former Premier Dr Ewart Brown.
A jubilant Mr. Bean topped the polls with 310, winning approximately twice as many votes as his two rivals combined. The video below shows the crowd cheering as he is announced the winner:
The Bermuda Democratic Alliance’s Sylvan Richards was pushed into last place in the three-way race with just 70 votes by an ailing United Bermuda Party candidate Devrae Noel-Simmons with 78 votes. Mr. Simmons was absent from the polling station as he was hospitalised with stomach pains yesterday and underwent a surgery yesterday afternoon.
Newly-elected Parliamentarian Mr. Bean thanked his family, campaign workers and the people of Warwick South Central for their dedication and support and pledged to represent the constituency and its concerns to the best of his ability. Below is a quick video statement from Mr Bean this afternoon before the votes were tallied:
At the 2007 General Election, the PLP took 69 percent of the vote, getting 562 to the UBP’s 252 with seven spoilt ballots and a turnout of 821 voters out of a total of 1,092 registered voters. Turnout was 75 percent. There were has 1,149 registered voters eligible to cast ballots in today’s bye-election.
While the outcome of the bye-election in Constituency #26 was never seriously in doubt, the race generated interest because Mr. Richards’ candidacy represented the first time the fledgling BDA’s appeal had been tested at the polls.
Formed last year, the party’s three sitting Members of Pariament — Shawn Crockwell, Donte Hunt and Mark Pettingill — were all elected under the UBP banner at the 2007 General Election. They resigned from the UBP to help launch the third party as a clear alternative to the UBP/PLP duopoly which has framed Bermudian politics since the 1968 General Election, the first held under the Westminster system.
Born in 1974, brand new MP Marc Allan Raoul Bean attended Southampton Glebe Primary School, The Berkeley Institute, Delaware State University, Hampton University, Bailbrook College, and flight school in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the proud father of two; Shaehlay and Janhoi. He is pictured below at his candidate rollout last month with his father Allan Bean Sr, sister Linda Talbot and his 16-year-old daughter Shaehlay:
A qualified air traffic control specialist, he also possesses a FAA commercial pilot’s license, with multi-engine, and instrument ratings. An avid sportsman, he has represented Bermuda in junior tennis. He is a former cricket captain of the Somerset Bridge Recreation Club, former head coach of the Somerset Eagles soccer team, and the club’s current President. Mr Bean is shown below being congratulated post-win:
Mr Bean served on the Bermuda Independence Commission, the Telecommunications Commission, the Public Transportation Board, The Public Vehicle Service Licensing Board, the Air Transport Licensing Board, and as the Deputy-Chairman of the West End Development Company (WEDCO). In 2006, he received the Queens Certificate and Badge of Honor.
Mr Bean previously worked in the Dept. Airport Operations, Dept. of Marine and Ports, and as the Recruitment and Enrolment Manager for the Mirrors program. In his last official responsibility, he served as the Government’s Advisor on Caricom Affairs within the Office of the Premier of Bermuda. On June 11th, 2008, Mr Bean was appointed to the Senate as the Junior Minister of Tourism, Transport, Environment, and Sport, and later, the Ministry of Telecommunications, E-Commerce and Energy.
Update: Photos from tonight showing Mr Bean celebrating his win:
Update: The PLP released the following statement “The Progressive Labour Party celebrates and congratulates the newest member of our Parliamentary Team, Marc Bean. After months of canvassing and connecting with the residents in Warwick South Central, Marc will now join the Government team as a Member of Parliament. He is eager to get to work representing these constituents who have placed their trust in him. Congratulations Marc!”
Premier Paula Cox said “I look forward to our newest MP Mr. Marc Bean joining the PLP Government team and I congratulate him. He is a thinker, cares passionately about his community and connects with people. I consider him to be a worthy addition to the PLP Government team and am personally very pleased for him and proud of him and how he conducted himself. It took blood, sweat and tears. He has earned his spurs and I know that he knows that there is much work to be done and is ready, willing and able to do his part.”
“No success comes without the efforts of many people on the team- their hearts, hands and heads- at the PLP Constituency Branch level, the Campaign Committee, the Executive level, the Party Office and our team there and the support of the Parliamentary Group in being sounding-boards and part of the canvassing team. I appreciate all the collective efforts.”
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Far above transparency and Government accountability, the constituents of Warwick South Central have voted party once again. Its Bermuda that suffers when we fail to hold our Government accountable. A great tragedy in Bermuda politics is that the voters fail to connect the dots between Govt accountability and how we react at the polls. The PLPs gross overspending, the financial mismanagement of capital projects, the proven cronyism and even yesterday it was reported that Dr. Brown still has his hand in the cookie jar ….or at least he still has influence of the Country’s finances and how they are spent. The way we, as voters, send a strong message to Government is in how we vote. This vote has confirmed what many in Government already know. “It doesn’t matter what we do, how poorly we do it or how negatively our poor financial decisions impact the already struggling populace. They will always vote us back in”. Sadly, they are right. Until we connect the dots and accept that Government has to held responsible on a whole and not in part, we will continue to repeat this foolishness.
“It doesn’t matter what we do, how poorly we do it or how negatively our poor financial decisions impact the already struggling populace. They will always vote us back in”.”
Pretty much. And I fully expect the PLP to win an even bigger majority of seats next election, because I predict that not only will the UBP drop a few more seats, but at least 2 of the 3 BDA MPs will lose theirs as well. Much worse than having a party that will seemingly be voted in no matter what, is having a complete failure of an opposition. There must be a checks and balance system in place for a functioning democracy. The Bermuda public hasn’t shown the ability or will to hold the Government to account. The UBP is beyond hopeless at this point, and the BDA……. can’t even remember they exist half the time. Our current social and political climate is a result of poor checks and balances, all around and starting at the top.
At this point I’m prepared to sell my house and move my assets totally off island. At this stage I don’t want to be a tax-paying slave to a group that has consistently shown little care, or aptitude, for managing the public purse with respect to the taxpayer or competence. I want nothing invested in this place anymore. And we as a people, since we don’t have the will to DEMAND better governance, don’t DESERVE better. Let the chips fall where they may, but don’t complain when the ship is at the bottom of the ocean. Because our apathy is what made it sink.
But LOL – If you move you’ll miss all the fun in the new 16 million dollar pool!
Surely a giant overpriced pool will solve the crime, education and lack of new income coming into Bermuda problems.
Isn’t building a massive pool, that’s sure to cost double the $16 Mill price quote, in the midst of the worst recession Bermuda has seen in over 50 years good Governing?
Why wouldn’t we want to keep voting the PLP back in. It beats any reasonable alternative.
Before they got in we had another party that couldn’t agree on if the sun rose in the East or West and some of them were more interested in Independence Referendums or building a McDonald’s so they could increase their already vast financial empires.
And this new party is more wishy washy than Charles Schultz’ Charlie Brown.
So where else do we vote? With the old guard? Even with their line up of “new faces” it’s still more of the same with nothing new about it. Where’s their plan to turn things around? Things started getting cruddy under their regime anyway.
The new wishy washy party? If I wanted to be preached and spoken down to then I’d go to church.
The populace has voted, and will continue to do so, for the party they feel best represents how the majority of Bermudians think and feel. Some believe whatever bad eggs are there now will eventually be weeded out by the good ones that do exist there.
Plus they are building this humongous pool right when Bermuda needs it most. That’s JUST what we need with today’s crime and economy. First one to do a Spanish Point Special in de pool wins!!!
And so LOL – you pack your things, sell your house, take your assets and leave Bermuda. At the same time drop your status, or work permit, off and don’t let the immigration door hit you on the way out.
Bermudians need to stay and fight to keep Bermuda intact no matter what side of the political fence they sit on, not flee and run away because things are tough right now.
I don’t need to do anything at this stage, except look out for the best interests of my family. If that means leaving, so be it. I can do without your petty sarcasm as far as immigration hitting me in the ass on the way out. Do whatever you please, but don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t be doing.
YOU can stay and fight, my energies aren’t going to be wasted on those who don’t want to help themselves.
C’mon you and i both know that the poor voters only had a choice between Mr. T, Marc Bean, and other guy what’s his name nobody. So quit yo Jibba Jabba Fool!
Until Bermuda’s black community realises what Brown and the PLP have done to us, this wll continue to happen. Very very sad.
Oh so if Blacks rule themselves it’s because they’re black. But if they voted for Mr-T they would have been “bermudians”. Quit yo Jibba Jabba Fool!
Give Marc a chance. He does work hard. Even though it is the same part, maybe now, the MP’s will be brave enough to speak their own minds and start on the path of healing. What are the alternatives?
Bunch of brainwashed lemmings!
Moving off of Bermuda permantly in two years, so don’t care anymore, many more will follow me in the coming decade.
How about you move sooner….just my opinion:)
why two years…oh wait you’re making far too much money, which you prob wont earn wherever you end up.
Don’t let the door hit you on the ass. Is there any possible way I can help you purchase a ticket sooner?
Can’t please them all. I am proud of you Marc Bean. You are one of the few that never held back your rightful opinion even when made to formally apologize for telling the truth. I know you will do us proud. The naysayers will always be there.
The constituents of Warwick South Central have spoken!!! End of story:)
To “Just an Observer”. My criticism is not leveled at Marc personally. It is at the Government holistically, of which Marc is a part. And more so, my criticism is leveled at the voting public, who, despite the poor performance of our Government, have rewarded them anyway. We all know what happens when we reward a child that is not performing. We kill any incentive for them to do better and that is the problem with voting Marc back in. The Govt has no incentive to improve their performance.
You are correct, however it is, apparently, human nature to do so. Want proof? The UBP were voted in repeatedly, despite the 2nd class treatment of most black Bermudians. It is simply and unfortunately all relative..
Black Bermudians aren’t much better off today, have we become first class citizens at some point? I never got the memo.
i guess that depends on what you are looking for from govt.
forget IB and our international reputation, if all you want to is have costs relieved, like childcare, busses, etc, then they probably are doing better then before..
sadly its about perspective. What you and I want isnt necessarily what someone else wants.
@ Truth.. Read in context…in short , regardless of whether it is good or bad we vote down racial & or economic lines.. sigh!!!
You specifically mentioned second class treatment of blacks. My response was well within the context of that statement.
Yes! Congrats Marc Bean ! I knew from jump that it would be you….
So what is that, less than 40% of the registered voters turned out?
BDA. BETRAY, DECEIVE, ABANDON.
Useful 4 letter word and you are full of it!
Useful 3 letter word and your mouth is where the four letter word comes from
How foolish cause to celebrate I fear not look at the facts over half the constituents said to H$LL with you and did not come out and vote. This seat is a guarantee it has and will always be a PLP strong seat Mr. Bean won this seat for no other reason I find no reason to celebrate. Open your eyes the people are not voting because they have had it. Any PLP supporter knows without a doubt when you have issues with the higher ups you take a sick out. So said so done and it should cause the PLP great concern. “Actions speak louder than words.”
BDA got spanked by a candidate the UBP dragged from the bottom of a barrell. Stick a fork in them, they’re done.
I ain from no bottom of a barrel fooo. I had apendimatitis fooo quit yo jibba jabba! It was a guarantee from Mr-T.
The Sheeple have spoken once again. The PLP could have put a bag of trash out, given it a name with the PLP banner behind it & the result would have been the same. Voter imaturity & apathy rules in Bermuda. It just proves that Bermuda is nowhere near ready for anything like independence. In an advanced democracy, with aware voters the PLP would have been thrown out yesterday, no matter how good or bad the candidate as an individual was.
We get what we vote for. We get what we deserve.
Clearly in Bermuda only thing matters on voting day. And it has nothing to do with any of the issues.
I hope Marc Bean does a good job and truly looks out for the people that voted him in.
I hope he looks out for everyone in his constituency, not just those that voted for him.
That’s his job.
Sadly peeps, this is just one side of the coin. I definitely wish someone else had been voted in, and i do believe that move of the votes were for party, and not very keen on change..
but at the same time, had someone else one, then you’d have a huge outcry that the old guard or the newBP were back in… and how on earth could peopel that care about their families every vote them in again.
If someone doesnt care too much about the crime, or the tax increase, because they get free daycare and bus rides… then can we really call them “uneducated”? Surely we would say that the PLP is killing Bermuda’s reputation, but if all someone cares about is not having to pay child care, or looking to someone that may scare away IB so rents will come down, then why would they ever care about our “reputation”?
Its sad… but its also a reality to some.
I would argue that those who really believe they’re getting free daycare, that a certain ‘uneducated’ element is at work. Because clearly they don’t understand the concept that nothing in life is free, and that the ‘free’ daycare is being paid over with increased taxes in other areas. There is no way a Government can literally give away free services for which they had previously charged, have a drop in revenue, and maintain Government services at the same level as when they were collecting revenue for what is now ‘free’. That’s just financial common sense 101.
Firstly, it is not “free” daycare. It was during the election, but subsequent to the electoral process the Govt ran the numbers and realized that such a promise would be ultimately detrimental to the balance sheet at the time, and thus it was reverted to “means tested” day care “allowance.” The numbers, for the original “free” concept, did not work back then (i.e. beginning of 2008) when the economy was in a much better shape. This was the same time when certain ministers and supporters dismissed the opposition’s claims that the economy was overheating and a bubble burst was in the very near future. These claims were refuted as fear mongering with one Minister in all their economic “wisdom” stating that he would rather have an overheating economy rather than one which is cold or luke-warm. Fast forward two an a bit years later and it appears that the “fear mongering” might have been just the opposite.
In regards to the aforementioned “free” promises I do have to smile when I hear that drum being banged as the main evidence that the current Govt is the only true advocate and friend of the “people.” Don’t get me wrong those initiatives were thoughtful, but not thought out, as are most election promises when a politician would try and “sell” anything to the public in order to garner votes.
The reason I smile is that these individuals praise the Govt for instituting these subsidies and allowing them to save money they wouldn’t have had the ability to do before. But in less than two years, and in the midst of our worst economic turmoil ever, the same Govt effectively eradicated these savings through the increase of a slew of taxes in order to cover the massive shortfall in revenue which was predicted but ultimately brushed aside as nothing but fear mongering and mischievous white people trying to undermine a black Govt. The effect of raising the foreign currency purchase tax for example, by 50 basis points, only increases the operational overheads (i.e. expenses) of all local retailers who in turn must ensure that they remain viable through the ultimate raise in prices for even the most basic goods and services. So that already ridiculously expensive $5 loaf of bread now becomes $5.50 to $6. Multiply these increases across all goods and services and you are no better, if not worse, off then before the “free” electoral promises that is used as your disposable income becomes that much less.
No Govt, in their right economic minds, seeks to raise taxes in the midst of a recession as a means to stimulate an already poor economy and raise poor consumer confidence levels. But we did and on top of that it appears that the majority of the electorate actually thanked them for making Bermuda that much more expensive to live in and praising them for making us that little bit poorer. Then I laugh when I read/hear people praising the Govt spending machine as being necessary to the recovery of Bermuda. Yes, this is true, but only when the money is being spent locally instead of the multi-million dollars that fly out of Bermuda to all these foreign consultants appointed by the Govt to do jobs that they believe Bermudians cannot do on their own. Do you think that sending millions of dollars to Global Hue and to law firms (i.e. CoH takeover) who are not required to pay BDA taxes and whose employees won’t use their salaries to “Buy BDA” is a positive way of spending Govt capital which in essence is procured through the average tax paying citizens hardwork?
But what really makes me laugh is the inevitable comments that I am talking nothing but nonsense and that white Bermudians aren’t true Bermudians and their political opinion should be duly ignored as nothing but a severe case of white supremacy at worst and haterism at best.
PS: And the only time I have been to Tucker’s Town by the way is when I was working as a laborer for Bermuda Tech and Patterson Contracting construction firms. And, gasp, I don’t live in Fairylands or Harbour Road. Maybe I am secretly a black Bermudian…
Tires of nonsense, PREACH ON mate. Unfortunately that’s too much common sense in one space for some people.
Thank you for such a reasoned and informative post. It cannot be refuted.
lol trust me, i know, understand, and agree with all that.
but remember, those that are happy to vote for the plp dont care that their childcare or other services arent technically “free”. what they care about is thier $200/mo bills (arbitrary number) are being replaced by $50/mo in tax increases. They arent fussed that the rest of the island has to pay it in reality.
I think these voters are making a horrible mistake for bermuda, but they also arent looking at bermuda on an international scale. I wouldnt say they are uneducated… sadly they just have a different perspective. They dont care if IB is here.. they dont care if we look good to the world. They dont care if front street closes down. We assume that these are things they care about, but are too dumb to figure it out. Again, i totally agree that they are doin the island a disservice, but if what these voters want isnt what we want, then why should we expect them to vote for who we want? Again, its sad.. but its reality. It will take a lot for the PLP to honestly piss off their voters enough for them to leave.
So what UBP jerked us around for 30 + years! Didnt hear U all then! Good Job Mark Do us well! All Bermudians do is TALK…When it comes to ACTION Where are all of u behind ya pen names and in ya lil cubby holes or homes.
I’m 33, so you wouldn’t have heard from me THEN. What does what the UBP did 30 years ago have to do with today? Oh, “the UBP did it too”, so it’s again for the PLP to do it now? Brain-dead logic.
Hang on, are you getting on OUR case about pen names, TALK IS CHEAP?!
that should say it’s OK for the PLP to do it now above…
Well, that is same logic Zane DeSilva applied when he said, “what goes around comes around” with respect to Ewart getting his personal wall built with Tax payers money. Are we really surprised at this mentality? No. We are embarrassed by it, baffled by it and frustrated with it ..but definitely not surprised.
The inability or unwillingness to see the truth, even when it is staring us in the face, is the destruction of man.
lol first im 30… my first vote was the year plp won.
Secondly, where were the chat forums on news sites back when the UBP was in power?
Thirdly, how the hell do you call people out on using pen names when you yourself use the name “Talk is cheap”?
@ Talk is Cheap, Heard That!!. You see they consider the 310 PLP voters to be dumb, their actions foolish, a bunch of brain washed lemmings, imature and uneducated.
Marc will do a great job. Congrats Marc!!!
Yeah, see how they call us black and idiots for not voting for them. But if we voted for mr-T we’d be smart bermudians. How dare they call 310 people foolish? Wow!
I don’t agree with the labelling of 310 supporters as being idions and/or fools either. They obviously see something within the Party that others don’t and it is their democratic right to choose who they vote for.
But I got to laugh at you WJ. You say “how dare they call 310 people foolish? Wow!.”
The reason I have to laugh at you is that, as evidenced by all your posts, you have no qualms in labelling approximately 20,000 people as racists and white supremacists (i.e. 30% of BDA’s population – give or take). Kettle and pot I guess.
Wow….
And by the way black Bermudians are black…
The same way you call all white Bermudians in your posts whites…
What’s the problem?
‘I don’t agree with the labelling of 310 supporters as being idions and/or fools either. They obviously see something within the Party that others don’t and it is their democratic right to choose who they vote for.’
Exactly!!!!
But it’s also the right of others to believe that such a vision is either warped and/or plain wrong and to articulate (in an intelligent manner) this belief.
Calling people idiots and immature will not solve the problem. And neither will labelling anyone racist, uncle tom, haters etc. that do not conform with the current Govt’s view and/or actions and displays that they retain their own independent thought process.
It is a two way street with both sides staying far too the left at this point in time unfortunately.
Whenever I post, I try to offer something well thought out and sensible. I try to avoid useless finger pointing and definitely avoid name calling of individuals. The problem with posting on forums like this is that someone always feels compelled to take the bait in addressing some senseless remark. Its a distraction and It derails the conversation. It would be good to see the posters on this forum mature to the point where senseless comments get no attention nor feedback. A weeding out is necessary when dealing with real issues of the day.
The UBP only have themselves to blame by picking this candidate. They took a gamble. A very big gamble at this point in time. A prominent figure will be needed to win. Keep away from ex cons. You gambled big time Mr. Swan and lost Big time!
Lesson learned by the UBP. No disrespect to Mr. Noel-simmons. I feel that the worst offences committed in this community that will not be accepted by the public to run for office, are;
1.pedophiles
2.murder
3.drug related