ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) maintained its slender one-seat majority in the 17-member Parliament after Randy Baltimore won the St Philip North constituency on Monday night.
Preliminary figures show that Baltimore had a decisive victory over Alex Browne, the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate, in the by-election, with the Returning Officer, Avonell Benjamin, formally declaring him the winner.
Baltimore won all seven boxes, amassing a total of 924 votes, compared with Browne’s 406, representing approximately 69.5 per cent of the votes cast, compared with 30.5 per cent for Browne.
The figures also show that the ABLP has improved its showing compared with the 2023 general election, when Sir Robin Yearwood was the candidate, and he defeated Browne by less than 100 votes. The voter turnout has been placed at 70 per cent.
The by-election was due to Sir Robin’s decision to bow out of active politics after being first elected on February 18, 1976, and serving continuously until his retirement on February 18, 2026.
In his victory speech, Baltimore thanked the voters of the St. Philip North constituency, his campaign team, as well as the leadership and members of the ABLP, including Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
“We conducted a clean campaign; a campaign centered on the issues; we campaigned on the concerns of the people; the concerns and the initiatives that Randy Baltimore and his team have implemented in the past, and we will continue to work for the people of St Philip North,” he said.
Prime Minister Browne said he welcomed the victory, adding the people of St. Philip’s North have spoken “clearly and decisively.
“I congratulate Randy Baltimore on this significant victory and welcome him to the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party team in Parliament. His success is a testament to his commitment to service and the confidence the people have placed in him.
” You now officially take your place among a team committed to delivering progress and prosperity for our nation. Together, we will continue to fulfill the wishes of our people and advance Antigua and Barbuda as a modern economic powerhouse,” the Prime Minister added.
The Barbados-based regional political scientist, Peter Wickham, said that Baltimore’s victory gives Prime Minister Browne much to consider when deciding how soon to call a general election.
He noted that the UPP appears to be at its weakest with its political leader, Jamale Pringle, polling less than 20 per cent in a recent poll he conducted in the constituency. Wickham also suggests that Pringle should consider resigning from the party’s leadership, as he has led it to consecutive major by-election losses.
“Under the Westminster system, a leader of a political party steps down after such significant electoral losses,” Wickham noted.
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