Randy Baltimore wins St. Philip’s North by-election in emphatic fashion

Randy Baltimore has been elected as the new Member of Parliament for St. Philip’s North, defeating United Progressive Party candidate Alex Browne by 517 votes in a by-election that closed 50 years of unbroken representation by Sir Robin Yearwood.

Baltimore, who served as Sir Robin’s campaign manager before resigning from the Customs and Excise Division to contest the seat, polled 924 votes to Browne’s 407, capturing 68.75 percent of valid votes cast across all seven polling stations in the constituency. Thirteen ballots were rejected.

The result was declared at the Glanvilles Polyclinic and Community Centre on the night of Monday, March 16, where supporters of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party gathered in large numbers outside the counting centre as each box was announced.

“Let me give thanks to God,” Baltimore told state media following his victory. “Without him, this could have never been possible.”

Baltimore, who has deep roots in the Willoughby’s community where both he and Browne were raised, acknowledged the broad support his campaign received from across the party. “I thank all the comrades who supported me, all the comrades who campaigned with me from the different constituencies, our Prime Minister, all the members of the cabinet who came out in their numbers,” he said.

The new member of parliament was emphatic that the campaign was fought on substance.

“We ran a clean campaign. We campaigned on the issues. We campaigned on the concerns of the people,” Baltimore said, adding that his team had campaigned on initiatives already undertaken in the constituency and commitments to continue that work.

“We will go out. We will share the happiness to each and every one. The work continues,” he said.

The by-election was triggered on February 18 when Sir Robin tendered his resignation from parliament on the same day he marked 50 consecutive years as the constituency’s representative, having first won the seat in 1976.

He was undefeated across 11 general elections.

Browne, who had contested the 2023 general election and reduced Sir Robin’s margin to 93 votes in what was the closest result the constituency had seen in decades, resigned his United Progressive Party Senate seat to contest the by-election.

In the 2023 box count, Browne had won Polling District A outright that year, taking both Glanvilles boxes while Sir Robin held Districts B and C.

On Monday, Baltimore reversed that position entirely, winning all seven boxes including both Glanvilles stations by margins that ranged from nearly two to one to close to three to one.

He was magnanimous in defeat, embracing Baltimore at the counting centre following the declaration.
Of the 1,998 registered voters in the constituency, 1,344 cast ballots, representing a turnout of 67.27 percent.

Baltimore swept all seven boxes across Polling Districts A, B and C, with his strongest performance coming in the Newfield box where he recorded 149 votes to Browne’s 42.

The count was conducted using transparent ballot boxes, introduced for the first time in Antigua and Barbuda by the Electoral Commission.

Baltimore will take his seat in parliament on March 23 to represent a constituency that the ABLP has held without interruption since 1971.