Voters in the St Philip’s North Constituency will head to the polls on March 16 to elect a new Member of Parliament following the resignation of long-serving representative Robin Yearwood.

Yearwood, 81, announced his resignation during a special sitting of Parliament on February 18 held to mark his 50th year as a member of the House of Representatives. House Speaker Osbert Frederick read a letter formally announcing his departure from the Lower House.

Yearwood is Antigua and Barbuda’s longest-serving Member of Parliament.

Nomination Day has been set for February 25.

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has selected Randy Baltimore as its candidate as the party seeks to retain the seat. The opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) has chosen Senator Alex Browne to contest the by-election. Browne will be required to resign from the Senate ahead of the vote.

The ABLP, led by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, currently holds nine of the 17 seats in Parliament. The UPP holds six seats, while the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) holds one.

This will be the second by-election in just over a year. In January 2025, Rawdon Turner won the St Peter by-election following the murder of long-serving MP Asot Michael.

Michael, a former ABLP member and government minister, had won the seat in 2023 while contesting as an independent candidate.