The Battleground seats - ST ANDREW WEST RURAL - Paul Buchanan vs Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn
Published:Tuesday | February 16, 2016 | 12:00 AM
2011 results St Andrew West Rural
PNP's Paul Buchanan 7,716
Andrew Gallimore - 7,479
Total electors 32,976
Voter turnout 46.5 per cent
Rejected ballots 89
The St Andrew West Rural constituency has been a political battlefield ever since it was created in 1959, with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) - seven victories - just one step ahead of the People's National Party (PNP), to date.
In the 2011 election, the PNP crossed the line with 237 more votes than the JLP. This win brought an end to two consecutive victories by the JLP's Andrew Gallimore.
Political observers will undoubtedly pay some attention to the anticipated duel between incumbent Paul Buchanan and Olympian Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn.
Neither the PNP nor the JLP can claim political dominance in St Andrew West Rural as the seat has swung from one party to another over time. From 1959 to 1976, voters in the constituency switched political allegiance alternately starting with the JLP.
However, from 1976 to 1983, the JLP surged ahead winning three consecutive elections, with the latter not contested by the PNP.
For the next three elections, the PNP hit back securing wins up to the 1997 national polls.
In the upcoming election, an additional 3,894 electors are eligible to vote in St Andrew West Rural, having been added to the November 30, 2015 voters' list.
Winning Margins
- 1959 - 1,917 votes
JLP's Arthur Leon over
PNP's A.A. Walker
Total electors: 19,453
Voter turnout: 70.4 per cent
Rejected ballots: 133
- 1962 - 1,464 votes
PNP's Allan St Aubyn Issacs over JLP's Emile E. Joseph
Total electors: 22,339
Voter turnout: 71 per cent
Rejected ballots: 78
- 1967 - 1,198 votes
JLP's Emile E. Joseph over PNP's Rose A. Leon
Total electors: 10,082
Voter turnout: 79.8 per cent
Rejected ballots: 65
- 1972 - 702 votes
PNP's Rose Leon over
JLP's Emile E. Joseph
Total electors: 11,683
Voter turnout: 77.5
Rejected ballots: 42
- 1976 - 48 votes
JLP's Mavis Gilmour over PNP's Leon Rose
Total electors: 20,197
Voter turnout: 88.4
Rejected ballots: 333
- 1980 - 4,750 votes
JLP's Mavis Gilmour over PNP's Winston Davidson
Total electors: 24,018
Voter turnout: 80.3 per cent
Rejected ballots: 105
- 1983 - 5,959 votes
JLP's Mavis Gilmour over Republican Party's Clive Smith
PNP did not contest election
Total electors: 24,024
Rejected ballots: 17
- 1989 - 96 votes
PNP's Claude Clarke over JLP's Kenneth Baugh
Total electors: 22,022
Voter turnout: 74 per cent
- 1993 - 225 votes
PNP's Vernon Robinson over JLP's George Ramocan
Total electors: 19,207
Voter turnout: 41.3 per cent
Rejected ballots: 77
- 1997 - 448 votes
PNP's Vernon Robinson Jr over JLP's Newlyn A. Seaton & NDM's Louis Joseph
Total electors: 24,923
Voter turnout: 56.4 per cent
Rejected ballots: 115
- 2002 - 1,766 votes
JLP's Andrew Gallimore over PNP's Carol Archer
Total electors: 28,170
Voter turnout: 54 per cent
Rejected ballots: 33
- 2007 - 2,321 votes
JLP's Andrew Gallimore over PNP's Andrea Moore
Total electors: 30,137
Voter turnout: 56.6 per cent
Rejected ballots: 186
- 2011 - 237 votes
PNP's Paul Buchanan over JLP's Andrew Gallimore
Total electors: 32,976
Voter turnout: 46.4 per cent
Rejected ballots: 89
- For the February 25 election, 3,894 persons added to the voters' list