Chad Blackman of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is the new parliamentary representative for St James North.
With a resounding 84 per cent of the eligible voters behind him, Blackman polled 2 723, surpassing the 2 536 by former representative Edmund Hinkson.
The Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) Felicia Dujon, a first timer like Blackman, got 468 votes, 140 fewer than Charles Worrell, the DLP candidate in 2022.
Steffanie Williams of the Community Empowerment Party got 21 votes and president of the Baja Free Party, Alex Mitchell, secured seven.
Overall, 3 231 votes were cast, of which 12 were spoilt.
“This has been a long journey in coming. Not just the by-election, but from the work I started last year,” Blackman said at Gordon Greenidge Primary School where the votes were counted.
Many of his former parliamentary colleagues came out in support, led by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.
“God gave me strength and He gave the team strength, and ultimately, He allowed the people of St James North to see it fit to elect me as their parliamentary representative,” he added.
The jubilant red-clad supporters then went to the BLP constituency office at Rock Dundo, St James to continue the celebrations.
This was in contrast to Mount Standfast where the DLP team gathered in a more reflective mood. Dujon vowed to be back and would continue working towards the next General Election
“It means that I will continue to work on behalf of the people of St James North. When I started, I told you there were a number of concerns in this constituency and these concerns will not go away because someone got elected within this period of time. It doesn’t stop here tonight.
“We will continue to advocate and to champion the rights of the members of this constituency,” she said. (SAT)
