KINGSTON, Jamaica – Former Miss Jamaica Universe, Saphire Longmore, will be introduced tonight to “Labourites” attending the party’s campaign launching rally in Sam Sharpe Square, as the Jamaica Labour Party’s candidate for the politically troubled North East St Elizabeth constituency.

The Jamaica Observer reported on Tuesday, February 2, that Longmore, who has been practicing as a consultant psychiatrist since winning the Miss Universe title in 2000, had returned to representational politics and would be representing the party in St Elizabeth North East.

Longmore, as well as former Olympic track star, Juliet Cuthbert, were observed with their colleagues running on the JLP’s ticket collecting the party’s T-shirts and other campaign paraphernalia at Belmont Road on Monday, in preparation for her second late entrance in a race for a seat in the House of Representatives.

She lost by fewer than 300 votes to the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Andre Hylton in Eastern St Andrew in 2011 after entering the contest less than four weeks before the December 29 general election, after the JLP decided to drop Dr St Aubyn Bartlett based on internal poll results.

Longmore is entering another election campaign less than four weeks before the poll, but the party seems convinced that she has a chance of winning the seat, which was only won once before by a JLP candidate – JC Hutchinson, in 1980, since the PNP first won it with Sydney Pagon in 1959.

The JLP’s hopes primarily rest upon the split within the PNP in the constituency, triggered by the choice of Evon Redman over the incumbent Raymond Pryce, and the decision of two candidates with PNP roots to run as independents.

Longmore kicked off her campaign Thursday with the official opening of her constituency office in Santa Cruz by Leader of the Opposition Andrew Holness. She also joined the JLP leader on a tour of the parish, which included a stop in Balaclava, normally seen as a PNP stronghold, but which is also her hometown.

JLP deputy general secretary, Audley Gordon, who was on the tour said that the party was impressed with the level of support she has been getting in the constituency.

“The support was overwhelming everywhere she went including in Balaclava, where her father has his roots. She has been getting good responses from all the traditional PNP areas,” Gordon said.

Balford Henry