As campaign activity accelerates across Dominica ahead of the upcoming Roseau North by-election, veteran community figure Sherman Boston has made his official entry into the race, marking his comeback to electoral politics as an independent candidate anchored in principles of integrity, constituent-focused service and deliverable policy solutions.
Boston, who previously served 10 years as a member of the Roseau City Council and contested the 2022 snap general election as an independent, publicly confirmed his candidacy in a statement posted to his official Facebook page, calling on voters of the Roseau North constituency to lend him their support once again.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Miriam Blanchard, a former member of parliament for the district and sitting cabinet minister from the ruling Dominica Labour Party. Per Dominica’s electoral regulations, a by-election must be held within 90 days of a parliamentary vacancy.
Following Blanchard’s exit, ruling party representatives reached out to Boston to invite him to rejoin the Dominica Labour Party, a request the long-time public servant said he flatly turned down. “I was asked to return to the ruling Labour Party as the prodigal son. I refused,” Boston said in his statement.
He explained that 26 years of unmet expectations left him unwilling to rejoin the party, arguing that Roseau North residents have been forced to endure too many empty promises over the years and deserve far better representation.
A lifelong resident of Roseau and graduate of the Clifton Dupigny Community College, Boston noted that his core political philosophy has never shifted: he prioritizes principle over partisan loyalty, he said, and will remain an independent to serve his community without party interference.
Drawing on his decade of experience representing Ward 4 — the largest geographic and demographic section of the Roseau North constituency — Boston emphasized that integrity must be the foundation of all public office. He pledged that if elected, he will always put the needs of local constituents above personal ambition, political gain or financial benefit.
Boston also pointed to his on-the-ground leadership during two of Dominica’s most devastating modern crises: the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other elected officials who stepped back during these emergencies, he said, he worked side-by-side with Ward 4 residents to secure resources and drive recovery, noting “I did not just hold a title… Ward 4 was not left to fend for itself.”
If voters send him to parliament, Boston has outlined three core policy priorities to deliver for Roseau North. First on his agenda is expanding local employment: he has proposed rolling out targeted skills and trade training programs across the constituency, increasing financial and regulatory support for local small businesses and entrepreneurs, and mandating that local Roseau North residents get priority hiring for all government and private sector infrastructure and development projects within the district.
Second, Boston pledged to address the longstanding environmental and public health risks posed by the expired Stockfarm landfill. He committed to pushing for urgent remediation of the current site, followed by a full relocation of the facility to a properly regulated, modern location that will protect the air and drinking water of nearby residential communities.
Finally, Boston framed his candidacy as a continuation of the public service legacy of the late former parliamentarian Julius Timothy, his early political mentor. Boston said Timothy’s decades of service taught him that effective public office must always center people above party politics — a principle he will carry with him to parliament if elected.