Two By-Elections Set To Be Held This Week
Voters in two constituencies are set to head to the polls this week, with the Paget East and Warwick North East by-elections set to take place this Thursday, June 7th.
The by-elections follow after 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.
Voting On Thursday
The polling stations will be the Bermuda College Student Centre in Paget for C22, and Bright Temple AME Church Hall in Warwick for C25, and the results of by-elections are generally known by around 10/11pm that evening.
The PLP won the 2017 General Election by a margin of 24 – 12, giving them a strong majority in the 36-seat House of Assembly. The possible outcomes of these by-elections are the OBA retaining both seats and the breakdown remaining at 24 – 12, the PLP winning both seats and the House moving to 26 – 10, or the parties winning a seat each, and the breakdown changing to 25 – 11.
