JPP’s Cunningham quietly confident he can win in St James Southern
Published:Friday | August 29, 2025 | 12:07 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Leon Cunningham, the Jamaica Progressive Party (JPP) candidate for St James Southern, says he’s undeterred by the challenge of facing the more established Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and People’s National Party (PNP) candidates in the September 3 general election.
“I am taking to the constituency my wealth of knowledge, and I believe it will be of benefit to the people that live in the community. I think we can make a difference, and I will ensure I do my best to rectify some of the issues in the constituency,” Cunningham told The Gleaner.
Cunningham, a 60-year-old minister of the Kingston-based New Creation Church of God, was nominated on August 18, and while he not show up with a large crowd, musical fanfare, and vuvuzelas, he exuded calm confidence.
His low-keyed Nomination Day rollout was in stark contrast to the triumphant atmosphere that followed his primary rivals, Homer Davis of the JLP and Nekeisha Burchell of the PNP.
Burchell is seeking to dethrone Davis and reclaim St James Southern, which was a PNP stronghold for 31 years under former Member of Parliament Derrick Kellier. The constituency came under the JLP’s banner when Davis defeated the PNP’s Dr Walton Small at the polls in 2020.
But Cunningham, who is also a trained social worker, mediator, and youth counsellor, told The Gleaner that he is not bothered by the lack of visible crowd support for him, as he is letting God direct his steps.
“I am feeling happy, and I am ready to go and ready to see what I can achieve for the constituents. I am not afraid, because I was the last party to show up [on Nomination Day] and so the focus would not be on me, and I am putting God first and then I follow, because whatever you do, you should put God first,” said Cunningham.
The first-time political aspirant said that he will be targeting the undecided voters in the constituency, and noted that, if he is elected to represent the constituency, his main focus will be on road rehabilitation and uplifting of lower-income residents.
“If you check the turnout of electors continuously, then you would realise that there are a lot of persons that are undecided, and there are also those that are coming in who are new. I think I can convince them, or convince some to do what they can do,” said Cunningham.
“For the condition of the constituency, I believe we can do much better in order to make the people’s lives easier, particularly with the roads and the indigent persons who are in a deplorable condition,” Cunningham added.