Bermuda gives incumbent party a third term; OBA claws back four seats
A victorious David Burt declared that voters have chosen fariness and a Government that will put Bermudians first, as the Progressive Labour Party soared into a third term in office.
The PLP secured 25 out of 36 seats, losing only 4 to the OBA, in the face of the lowest voter turnout in modern history.
The constituencies that the OBA clawed back were from the 6 seats they lost in the 2020 snap election. The Opposition had already gained one of those losses back when Vance Campbell crossed the floor last August.
However, the OBA was not able to pull back C19 Pembroke West from the PLP’s Jache Adams, who retained for a second term.
Independent candidates and the FDM were unable to win any seats, although 2,281 people voted independent – more than 9% of the vote share, which is unprecedented in recent elections. The FDM, however, saw their vote share drop compared to 2020.
Cire Bean was the most succesful independent, coming second to the PLP’s Rev. Dr. Emily Gail Dill in C36 Sandy’s North, as he was the only independent to get more than 200 votes.
Marc Bean was once again the FDM’s most succesful candidate. The party founder and leader was runner up to Scott Simmons in Southampton West, with 225 votes.
The voter turnout was strikingly low, with only 24,779 members of the electorate making their voices heard. That’s 1,295 fewer than the 2020 snap election that took place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will be several new faces in the House once parliament resumes – although some are already established politicians.
The PLP’s Paul Wilmot, Pastor Leroy Bean, Owen Darrell, Alexa Lightbourne have taken over the seats previously held by Lt. Colonel David Burch, Derrick Burgess, Walter Roban and Wayne Caines.
The newcomers from the OBA are Dwayne Robinson, Doug De Couto, Robin Tucker and Linda Smith. They will be joined by along with former OBA senator and Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy, who took over the seat previously held by retiring Susan Jackson.
WATCH our full election night coverage below:
