Jamaican Americans Win at the Polls

11/8/2018

In Florida, Jamaican-Americans Jackie Powell and Maxine Cheesman are now judges. Powell, who gained 255,752 votes (51.71 percent) to defeat Allison Gilman, is the first Jamaican American woman to be elected for judge in Broward County’s history. In Palm Beach County, Maxine Cheesman made history as the first black female Circuit Court Judge elected in the county. In Pensacola, Alex Andrade (Rep.) ran unopposed and took the seat for Florida State House District 2.

In Georgia, Donna McLeod (Dem.) became the first Jamaican-American woman elected in the Georgia Assembly District 105 winning over opponent Donna Sheldon.

In New York, Jamaican-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (Dem.) won in a landslide with 167,199 votes (87.59 percent) to Haitian-American, Lutch Gayot, for the 9th Congressional District. In the 20th Senatorial District in Brooklyn, Zellnor Myrie (Dem.) won with 67, 803 votes (88.06 percent) to opponent Jesse Hamilton.

In Maryland, state senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam was victorious over opponent Victor Clark Jr. for re-election in District 44 and is the first Jamaican-American elected to the state senate.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

As of Thursday, the race between Janice Laws and Jim Beck for the next Georgia Insurance Commissioner remains too close to call. "You voted and we're counting every vote," said Janice Laws on her Facebook page.

Janice Laws

FEW MISSES

Allegra Fung, who would have been the first judge of Chinese ancestry elected to the bench in Palm Beach county history, lost to Ashley Zuckerman. In California, Roxanne Beckford Hoge (Rep.) also lost to her opponent Adrin Nazarian in the race for the 46th District seat. In New York, Anthony Beckford (Green party) lost to Haitian-American Rodneyse Bichotte for the 42nd District seat.

All in all, this was an amazing race!

UPDATE 11/11/18: In Rhode Island, Marcia Ranglin-Vassell (Dem.) won re-election for the 5th District seat.

UPDATE 11/14/18: In Maryland, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, Jamaican-American Anthony G. Brown (Dem.), won the seat for U.S. Representative for the 4th congressional district.

Submitted by Paulari L.