First-time candidate Laverne Gibson-Velox says that the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) had underestimated her chances in East St. George.
Gibson-Velox, who was the opposition New Democratic Party’s (NDP) candidate in that district, lost by 196 votes to the ULP’s heir-apparent, Camillo Gonsalves, who was re-elected to a second five-year term.
In 2015, when Gonsalves first won the seat, he left a 607-vote margin between himself and the NDP’s chairman, Linton Lewis, who was making his fourth attempt to win a seat in the St. Georges constituencies.
Speaking on Saturday at the NDP’s “Thank You” rally in Kingstown, Gibson-Velox, who as the first woman to manage a commercial bank in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said:
“They thought it was a pussy cat coming, but it was a tiger ready to roar. I took them by surprise; like a thief in the night. Nobody saw me coming, nobody saw me coming because I was doing everything quietly.”
In the 2020 vote, Gibson-Velox secured 2,650 votes, compared to 2,846 for Gonsalves.
The Green Party’s Ivan O’Neal got 26 votes and there were 54 rejected ballots.
In 2015, Gonsalves garnered 3,135 votes — the most of any candidate in the elections — while Lewis got 2,528, with 13 votes for the Green Party, 35 for the Democratic Republican Party, and 22 rejected ballots.
Gonsalves’ 2020 vote tally was 289 votes less than he got in 2015, while Gibson-Velox got 122 more than Lewis did.
Gibson-Velox said that political observers had written her off as not standing a chance against the finance minister.
All the pundits and all the commentators [said], ‘Oh, she can’t do this. He is going to sweep her away and is going to ride roughshod over her.’
“When? How? Not when I have a team of people in East St. George voting for me, working on my team.”
She singled out Colin Graham, an NDP spokesperson, who she said was her campaign manager despite the work he was doing on the national campaign.
“… he kept me sane a lot of the time. Team Velox, what a wonderful team to work with!”
Gibson-Velox said she used to think she was popular until the week of the rally.
“I have never been hugged and kissed so much in my entire life. People I know, people I don’t know; people I hope to know, expected to know, everybody was just coming and I am so grateful for all the outpouring of support…
“To the people of East St. George, I especially thank you. I did not win East St. George but I feel like a winner because I won your hearts and I won your confidence and you supported me and you loved me right back like I love you. So thank you.”
Gibson-Velox said that the supporters’ presence at the rally was indicative that the NDP is alive and the majority.
“I have one last thing to say to you. Let’s rule this town. Let’s rule this town.”
In the Nov. 5 vote, the NDP lost the polls to the Unity Labour Party, which won a fifth term by winning nine of the 15 parliamentary seats.
The NDP, however, won the popular vote for the first time since 1998.
You have to admit, she can fool you: she looks like a secretary of some unimportant small office manager, but she is packed full of unexpected ability. She lacks the arrogance of some ULP people and therefore knows how to recognize good information. This, having the humility to listen to even the smallest of people, an ability our PM seems to have been losing more and more.
Jamal, the last four elections were not fair, u should know that money run things. Something is seriously wrong with some people.,, think a study should be done on them. Think Lavern had done well, . I think people had voted for ndp for the last 4 elections, but when unjust , wicked, evil people are put in positions, it’s very difficult. God will surely punish cheaters,
She will be a Doce ro recogn with in the future. Call it women power.Three NDP women Kay, Shevorn and Gibson Velox.