Incumbent candidate Maria Bird Browne of the Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has successfully held onto the St John’s Rural East parliamentary seat, securing a decisive victory over her opponent Ashworth Azille from the United Progressive Party (UPP) in Thursday’s general elections.
With 87 percent of ballots counted from a total of 5,187 registered electors, the latest vote tally solidified Browne’s advantage: the ABLP candidate earned 1,794 votes, while Azille of the UPP collected just 872 votes. Preliminary counts also recorded 19 rejected ballots that were deemed invalid for tabulation.
Browne’s win in the constituency reinforces the ABLP’s long-standing strong base of voter support in the rural district, marking a key gain for the party in the overall national election cycle. Political analysts note that the substantial margin of victory reflects sustained voter confidence in the incumbent’s representation and the ABLP’s policy platform among residents of St John’s Rural East.