Four Candidates For Upcoming By-Elections
The Parliamentary Registry officially received nominations from candidates for the upcoming by-election to be held on Thursday, June 7th, with a total of four candidates for the two by-elections with the PLP and OBA set to contest both seats.
Parliamentary Registrar Tenia Woolridge said that the nomination period, was a “routine one, which ran smoothly.” During the hours of 11.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. on May 24th, Returning Officers stationed at the two polling stations received the following nominations:
Constituency 22 Paget East
- One Bermuda Alliance [OBA]: Scott Pearman
- Progressive Labour Party [PLP]: Curtis Richardson
Constituency 25 Warwick North East
- Progressive Labour Party [PLP]: Curtis L. Dickinson
- One Bermuda Alliance [OBA]: Justin Mathias
As the by-election draws closer, Ms Woolridge is reminding the public that an Advanced Poll for travellers and incapacitated voters will take place on 31 May 2018 in the respective constituencies. More information about the Advanced poll can be found on the Parliamentary Registry’s website.
Comments from the Constituency 25 Warwick North East candidates:
The by-elections on June 7th will see voters set to head to the polls as a result of the resignations of former OBA MP Dr Grant Gibbons in Paget East, and former OBA MP Jeff Baron in Warwick North East.
Paget East has elected OBA or UBP MPs in the last four elections with winning margins from 64% to 80%, while Warwick North East has elected two OBA and two PLP MPs in the last four elections, with the winning margins ranging from 52% – 57%, so the Warwick seat will be the one that political observers are likely to be watching more closely.
Paget East
Paget East will see the OBA’s Scott Pearman match up against the PLP’s Curtis Richardson in a seat many regard as a ‘safe seat’ for the OBA.
Since the one MP system was implemented in 2003, Paget East has elected Dr Gibbons four times, twice as an OBA MP and twice under the UBP, with the margin of victory ranging from 63.94% to 80.63%.
In the 2017 General Election Dr Gibbons won 63.94% of the vote vs the PLP’s Curtis Richardson, and in the 2012 General Election Dr Gibbons won 74.20% of the vote vs the PLP’s Dawn Simmons.
In the 2007 General Election, Dr Gibbons, running under the UBP, won 77.33% of the vote vs the PLP’s Davida Morris and in 2003, Dr Gibbons won 80.63% of the vote vs the PLP’s Delaey Robinson.
Warwick North East
Warwick North East will see the PLP’s Curtis Dickinson match up against the OBA’s Justin Mathias.
Since the one MP system was implemented in 2003, Warwick North East has elected an OBA MP twice, and a PLP MP twice, with the margin of victory ranging from 52% – 57%.
In the 2017 General Election, Mr Baron defeated the PLP’s Kathy Lynn Simmons by a margin of 65 votes, winning 53.53% of the vote [493 votes], while Ms Lynn Simmons won 46.47% of the vote [428 votes].
In the 2012 General Election, Mark Pettingill defeated the PLP’s Dale Butler, who was then the incumbent, winning 57.72% of the vote.
In the 2007 General Election, Mr Butler won 53.5% of the vote vs the UBP’s Gina Spence, and in the 2003 General Election Mr Butler won 52.27% of the vote vs the UBP’s Mark Pettingill.
I’m delighted to see Mr. R. Scott Pearman following in his grandfather’s footsteps – Sir. James Pearman, one of the original three CDP partners and MCP – and getting involved. Indeed, it is with much fondness that so many of us older Bermudians remember how well Sir. James oversaw the island’s security apparatus, especially the Police department, back in the early 1960s. Undoubtedly retiring MP Dr. The Hon Grant Gibbons is delighted to see his safe seat safely transferred to such a safe set of hands.
Curtis Richardson has run a good campaign and I have seen his team on the streets of Paget quite often. Hopefully the residents give credit to him for actually canvassing.
Curtis Dickinson will be a great addition to the PLP Parliamentary team. I am pretty confident he will defeat Mathias in Warwick although it should be a close one.
We all know Paget is a Red Parish, all the best.