CLARENDON, Jamaica – Former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) senator Warren Newby on Sunday emerged victorious in an internal poll to decide the party’s representative for Clarendon North Western in the next general election.

Observer Online understands that, according to the preliminary counting, Newby tallied 372 votes to defeat his main challenger, Corey Dunkley, who received 156 votes. The other person in the race, Dr Clovis Nelson, received eight votes.

It is understood that Newby swept all four divisions of the constituency – Ritchies, Spauldings, Thompson Town and Frankfield, with the biggest margin of victory in the Ritchies Division where he picked up 131 votes to Dunkley’s four and Nelson’s one.

Deputy General Secretary of the JLP, Dr Andrew Wheatley, in announcing the results, said: “It is going to take a united north west Clarendon for us to retain this constituency. There are no individual victors here this evening.

“It is the Jamaica Labour Party that is being the victor here, so I am to encourage all Labourites from within the constituency and outside the constituency, who are here to support, that we unite and move forward,” Wheatley continued. “Rest assured Labourites that we appreciate everybody. Everybody has something to contribute, it is the entire Jamaica Labour Party moving forward for the third term.”

The selection exercise followed businessman Phillip Henriques’ decision not to seek re-election as Member of Parliament after one term.