A National Democratic Party supporter congratulates Dr. Hubert O’Neal after he won the Ninth District seat on Virgin Gorda early Tuesday morning. The win clinched the NDP’s victory in the election. Photo: TODD VANSICKLE

When the last District Nine vote was counted on Virgin Gorda around 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, it was official: The incumbent National Democratic Party had won another term in office.

 

A National Democratic Party supporter congratulates Dr. Hubert O’Neal after he won the Ninth District seat on Virgin Gorda early Tuesday morning. The win clinched the NDP’s victory in the election. Photo: TODD VANSICKLE
The district was the NDP’s seventh victory of the night, giving the party a majority of the 13 seats in the House of Assembly even as the at-large ballots were still being counted at the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall in Road Town.

In Virgin Gorda, NDP candidate Dr. Hubert O’Neal beat Virgin Islands Party contender Elton Sprauve, 669 to 389 votes, and the four other candidates in the district didn’t come close.

After the last vote was counted at the Catholic Community Centre, Dr. O’Neal’s supporters celebrated in the streets.

Earlier in the night on Tortola, the NDP won all the districts except VIP strongholds One and Three, which were retained by Andrew Fahie and Julian Fraser, respectively.

Newcomer Mitch Turnbull won District Two, Mark Vanterpool Four, Delores Christopher Five, Alva Maduro-Caines Six, Dr. Kedrick Pickering Seven, and Marlon Penn Eight.

As of 4 a.m. the at-large counting continued at the Sir Rupert Briercliffe Hall, but there were thousands of ballots remaining and the counting was expected to continue well into Tuesday morning.

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