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Thomas gets mayoral mandate in Portmore

Published:Monday | November 28, 2016 | 12:00 AMChristopher Serju
Leon Thomas votes at Greater Portmore High School.

Portmore Mayor-designate Leon Thomas believes hard work and effective leadership during his tenure as acting mayor made the difference for him and the People's National Party (PNP), which maintained its dominance of the Portmore municipality in St Catherine during yesterday's local government polls.

The PNP retained 10 of 12 divisions, down from the 11-1 split from the last election.

The preliminary count saw Thomas trouncing the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) candidate Keith Blake, who gave up his position as councillor for the Independence City division to contest the mayoral polls.

 

Significant improvements

 

"The difference is the work that we have been doing over the last three and a half years in this municipality. The people have seen the significant improvement that we have made in the municipality and they have rewarded us by voting for us," Thomas told The Gleaner during last night's victory celebrations at the constituency office of Fitz Jackson, member of parliament for the St Catherine South division.

While maintaining a stranglehold on Jamaica's only municipality, where the mayor is elected directly, it lost the Gregory Park division.

The JLP now holds Gregory Park along with Independence City.

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com