Davis plans to take to ‘hills and valleys’ to retain St James Southern

By: Albert Ferguson

Image caption: Homer Davis addressing a JLP rally on Sunday.

WESTERN BUREAU:

Homer Davis is warning Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters that the path to a third consecutive term in government will not be an easy one.

Davis, who was addressing his party’s mass rally in Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay, St James, on Sunday night, said winning will require hard work and determination, especially in St James Southern, a constituency once considered a stronghold of the opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

“As you leave here tonight, there’s a lot of work to be done. There’s a lot of tidying up to be done, and we’re not going to take this election easy,” said Davis, who is being challenged in his bid for a second term by Nekeisha Burchell, a rising star in the PNP.

“We’re not going to sit down and expect the election is going to be just given to us. We’re going out there to fight it over the hills, down in the valleys, on top of the mountain, to make sure that the Jamaica Labour Party gets this third term,” he added.

Reflecting on the strategic importance of St James in the JLP’s bid to retain state power, Davis urged voters in the parish to stay with the rulig party, which currently controls all five constituencies in the parish.

“This parish of St James must remain green. We know those dark days when the PNP was in charge. I am determined to lead the people of South St James back to Gordon House, so vote early, bring your neighbour, bring your friend, and vote for the Jamaica Labour Party,” said Davis.

After narrow losses to long-serving Member of Parliament Derrick Kellier in 2011 and 2016, Davis finally made a breakthrough in 2020 when he defeated Dr Walton Small, who had replaced Kellier at the top of the PNP’s ticket, by more than 2,000 votes. That election marked a major swing from the PNP as Davis swept all four divisions – Cambridge, where he had served as councillor for three decades; Welcome Hall; Maroon Town; and Catadupa.

In fact, based on the history of Davis’ involvement in St James Sourthern, his journey has been constant and steady. In 2011, Davis lost by just over 1,000 votes, winning only the Maroon Town Division. In 2016, he captured Cambridge but fell short in the other divisions, and in 2020, he swept all the divisions.

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