Albert (Belize House constituency)

Albert is an electoral constituency in the Belize District of Belize.

Albert
Constituency
for the Belize House of Representatives
Belize City's historic Swing Bridge with the Belize City Commercial Center (located in Albert) in the background.
DistrictBelize
Electorate3,468 (2015)
Major settlementsBelize City (part)
Current constituency
Created1961
Party  United Democratic Party
Area RepresentativeTracy Taegar-Panton

History

The Albert constituency was created for the 1961 general election as part of a major nationwide redistricting. Albert is named after the principal street (Albert Street) within its jurisdiction.

Albert Constituency is home to the headquarters of most of Belize's banks, Belize City's major stores, The Supreme Court of Belize City, The Bliss Center for the Performing Arts, The Belize City House of Culture, Battlefield Park, the Belize City Commercial Center, and several government offices.

Location and geographic setting

Albert, often referred to locally as Albert Division, is located entirely within the boundaries of Belize City, and is one of 10 constituencies in the Belize District that fall within its city limits. Albert is considered the downtown area of Belize City and is located on the eastern part of the city's southside.

Albert is bounded by the Caribbean Sea to the east and south, Haulover Creek to the north, and the constituencies of Mesopotamia and Queen's Square to the west. The historic Belize City Swing Bridge, which crosses Haulover Creek, connects Albert with the Fort George constituency. Albert is Belize's smallest constituency in terms of area.

Politics

In an era in which the People's United Party overwhelmingly dominated Belizean national politics, Philip Goldson of the National Independence Party first won Albert in 1965. He held the seat as a member of the NIP, then the UDP and finally the NABR until his retirement in 1998. Goldson was the sole opposition member in the Belize House during much of the 1960s and early 1970s.

In 1998 Mark Espat won the constituency for the PUP for the first time in 37 years, defeating the UDP's Tom Morrison. Espat was re-elected by comfortable margins until his retirement in 2012.

Albert is currently represented in the House of Representatives of Belize by the UDP's Tracy Taegar- Panton, who is Minister of State with responsibility for Investment, Trade and Commerce.

Area Representatives
ElectionArea Representative[1] Party
1961 Frederick Westby PUP
1965 Philip Goldson NIP
1973 UDP
1992 NABR
1998 Mark Espat PUP
2012 Herman R. Longsworth UDP
2015 Tracy Panton UDP

Elections
Election Political result Candidate Party Votes % ±%
2012 general election [2]
Electorate: 3,180
Turnout: 1,886 (59.31%) −13.52		UDP gain from PUP
Majority: 227 (12.04%) −14.9 		Herman R. LongsworthUDP1,03454.83+18.87
David Craig PUP80742.79−20.11
2008 general election [3]
Electorate: 3,242
Turnout: 2,361 (72.83%) −5.3		PUP hold
Majority: 636 (26.94%) −41.75 		Mark EspatPUP1,48562.9−19.93
Tom Morrison UDP84935.96+21.82
2003 general election [4]
Electorate: 2,286
Turnout: 1,789 (78.13%) −12.66		PUP hold
Majority: 1,229 (68.69%) +27.05 		Mark EspatPUP1,48282.83+12.99
Marilyn Williams UDP25314.14−14.06
Sydney Fuller Independent543.02-
1998 general election [5]
Electorate: 1,738
Turnout: 1,578 (90.79%) +34.18		PUP gain from NABR
Majority: 657 (41.64%) +28.44 		Mark EspatPUP1,10269.84+26.44
Tom Morrison UDP44528.2-
Gilda Jo-Ann Lewis NABR181.14−55.46
Ruth Patricia Smith PDP40.25-
1993 general election [6][7]
Electorate: 2,701
Turnout: 1,529 (56.61%) −1.77		NABR hold
Majority: 201 (13.2%) −4.8 		Philip GoldsonNABR86556.6-
Roy Young PUP66443.4+3.3
1989 general election [8][9]
Electorate: 2,393
Turnout: 1,397 (58.38%) −4.97		UDP hold
Majority: 252 (18.0%) −21.0 		Philip GoldsonUDP81258.1−11.0
Roy Young PUP56040.1+10.0
1984 general election [10][11]
Electorate: 2,180
Turnout: 1,381 (63.35%) −24.73		UDP hold
Majority: 539 (39.0%) +28.5 		Philip GoldsonUDP95469.1+14.4
Rafael Chavez PUP41530.1−14.1
1979 general election [12]
Electorate: 3,474
Turnout: 3,060 (88.08%) +22.31		UDP hold
Majority: 10.5% (−9.2) 		Philip GoldsonUDP54.7−4.5
George Dakers PUP44.2+4.7
1974 general election [13]
Electorate: 2,375
Turnout: 1,562 (65.77%) −9.11		UDP hold
Majority: 19.7% (+4.9) 		Philip GoldsonUDP59.2-
Joseph Gray PUP39.5−2.4
1969 general election [14]
Electorate: 2,544
Turnout: 1,905 (74.88%) +3.42		NIP hold
Majority: 14.8% (+3.4) 		Philip GoldsonNIP56.7+1.1
Joseph Gray PUP41.9−2.3
1965 general election [15]
Electorate: 3,577
Turnout: 2,556 (71.46%) −10.44		NIP gain from PUP
Majority: 11.4% (+6.5) 		Philip GoldsonNIP55.6+36.9
Frederick Westby PUP44.2+1.4
1961 general election [16]
Electorate: 2,424
Turnout: 2,058 (84.9%) n/a		PUP win
Majority: 4.9% (n/a) 		Frederick WestbyPUP42.8-
Nicholas Pollard CDP37.9-
Floss Casasola NIP18.7-

See also

References
  1. Elections Results, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 20 November 2014)
  2. GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS 2012, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  3. 2008 General Elections Final Results , Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  4. 2003 General Elections final results, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  5. General Elections 1998, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  6. General Elections 1993, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  7. 1993 Parliamentary Elections, Political Database of the Americas. (accessed 22 November 2014)
  8. General Elections 1989, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  9. 1989 Parliamentary Elections, Political Database of the Americas. (accessed 22 November 2014)
  10. General Elections 1984, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  11. 1984 Parliamentary Elections, Political Database of the Americas. (accessed 22 November 2014)
  12. General Elections 1979, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  13. General Elections 1974, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  14. General Elections 1969, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  15. General Elections 1965, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  16. General Elections 1961, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)

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