The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has secured a resounding victory in the St James North by-election, winning the seat for a ninth consecutive time and maintaining its overwhelming 29-1 majority in Parliament.
Chad Blackman, the BLP’s candidate, captured 2,723 votes—84 per cent of ballots cast—during Wednesday’s contest, outpacing Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate Felicia Dujon, who received 468 votes. Steffanie Williams of the Community Empowerment Party secured 21 votes, while Alex Mitchell of the Bajan Free Party received just seven. Twelve ballots were rejected.
With over 8,500 people registered to vote in the constituency, the turnout was around 38 per cent.
Chad Blackman is set to be sworn in on Thursday as the new Member of Parliament for St James North, following the resignation of former MP Edmund Hinkson last month. The BLP has now held the seat in every election since 1981, except for one loss in 1986.
Speaking after his win, Blackman said, “I see this, yes, as a victory, but now the real hard work begins. I made a lot of commitments to the people of St James North and, of course, the people of Barbados, and it’s really now to get on to the business of work.”
He continued, “Knowing our prime minister, once sworn in, there’s no room for taking a break off. So even though it’s a marriage, there’s no honeymoon and therefore, tomorrow starts, of course, work . . . . For example, even on Friday afternoon, I’ll have my first constituency clinic for the people of St James North to be able to come and say what they have to say, their issues, etcetera. Why? As I said, things must now go into motion. But this is a long journey and this is a commitment for me to ensure that I can give my best to the people of this constituency as long as I have breath.”
Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who joined Blackman and Cabinet ministers at the counting centre, praised the first-time candidate’s performance and said the result sent a clear message.
“It was not the Barbados Labour Party who first asserted that this was a referendum on the government’s performance. It was the Democratic Labour Party who, night after night, asserted that. And the people of St James North have spoken resoundingly, not just in favour of Chad, but Chad as the representative of the Barbados Labour Party in this constituency,” Mottley said.
 has secured a resounding victory in the St James North by-election on Wednesday.){kind=link}