Election winners and losers: The next States Assembly

Channel 103 has been digesting the election results, and getting reaction. Here's our summary so far.

The States Assembly has been elected.

It sees three ministers lose their seats, and a total of eight sitting States Members failing to get re-elected.

A record 22 women have been elected. There were 21 in the outgoing Assembly.

Reform Jersey

It's been a crushing night for Reform Jersey in the election.

Party leader Sam Mezec has lost his seat in the States Assembly, failing to become a Senator.  He was first elected in a by-election in 2014, becoming the youngest ever States member at the age of 23.  He only narrowly won the island-wide vote in 2018.

This time, he finished 10th, missing out on one of the nine senatorial seats by more than 2,000 votes

We haven't been able to speak to him yet, but he has posted:

Sam Mezec is one of three ministers to be unseated.

Reform Jersey leader loses seat in the States Assembly

There was more woe for the party, who have failed to win the Town Hall.

Sitting deputy and Education Minister Rob Ward lost to Inna Gardiner for Constable of St Helier.  

He posted to social media:

"Been a great few years.  Congratulations to all the winners.  On to new challenges. Here's to the future."

Raluca Kovacs lost her seat in St Saviour.

The party now has seven States Members - three fewer than the 10 seats it held in the last Assembly.

St Brelade's Montfort Tadier, has been re-elected for a sixth term. He told Channel 103 that the party needs to needs to 'take stock' about how it didn't 'get its message out' this election:

"We need time to re-group, I think there was a strong message from the island that we need to listen to.

"I don't think it's over for us. There were still thousands of people throughout the island who were prepared to vote for Reform Jersey's vision for the island."

Asked if will  stand for party leadership, he said:

"People are struggling, people are suffering.  These are big challenges that all the senators and government will have to deal with, and I will be doing my very best to hold all those ministers to account about delivering for the island.

"They've made lots of promises and have big majorities, and they need to start addressing these issues urgently."

After a disastrous night, there was some relief for Reform, when the final set of results were announced in St Helier Central, which had chosen to count the deputy votes on Monday morning.

By lunchtime news broke of a clean sweep for the party in St Helier Central, with Carina Alves, Catherine Curtis and Deputy party leader Lyndsay Feltham keeping their seats and party newcomer Lee Carpenter getting in too.

Howeve, in the late-declaring district - St Helier North - Reform's first-time candidate Kevin O’Connell came last in the polls. 

The senatorial poll

Helen Miles has topped the Senatorial Poll, with almost 16, 000 votes.

Next was Ian Gorst, followed by current Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham in third.

Treasury Minister Elaine Millar - who pushed for senators to be reinstated - finished fourth.

She told Channel 103:  "I am really, really pleased.  We had quite a big field of candidates, so it's really nice to be there."

She also told us her next move: " I will have a chat with Helen in the first instance, see what her plans are.  If she was going to go for Chief Minister I would support her rather than compete against her."

Former England netball captain Serena Kersten Guthrie, aligned with the Value Jersey movement, was the popular newcomer to be elected.

Health Minister Tom Binet finished sixth.

Alan Maclean returns to the States. The former Economic Development and Treasury Minister stepped down in 2018 after 13 years in the States. 

Sir Mark Boleat gets in on his second try.  He stood for deputy in St Clement in 2022.

Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat completes the senatorial benches.

Who's out 

The three ministers unseated are Housing's Sam Mezec, Environment's Steve Luce and Education's Rob Ward.

Eight sitting States Members have failed to get re-elected - Deputies Mezec, Luce, Ward, Kovacs, Steve Ahier and David Warr and Constables Mike Jackson (St Brelade) and Kevin Lewis (St Saviour)  

Constables

Meet Jersey's parish constables

In the Constables vote, Steve Pallett defeated Mike Jackson in St Brelade.

Recruitment professional Tina Palmer has prevented a return to politics for former Chief Minister John Le Fondre in St Lawrence.

Andy Howell won the Constables vote in Trinity.

David Curtis unseated Kevin Lewis in St Saviour, ending his two decades in politics.  He said:

"It's going to be an interesting term.  There have been a few surprises. Obviously Helen Miles topping the poll is a good thing, I think.  (I'm) looking forward to working with all the new elected candidates."

St Helier has its first new Constable in 25 years, and its first woman in Inna Gardiner.  She replaces Simon Crowcroft who retired at this election after 25 years in office. She told us:

"I love this community work and St Helier parishioners that I met during the campaign are amazing

"The only thing I really want to do is make life for people who live in  St Helier, and also people who visit St Helier, better."

Inna will encourage Helen Miles to stand for Chief Minister:

"I worked with Helen a lot as members of the Council of Ministers and the Scrutiny Liaison Committee.  Definitely, Helen deserves it and I am really happy for the result."

Grouville's Mark Labey, St Clement's Marcus Troy, St John's Andy Jehan, St Martin's Karen Shenton Stone, St Ouen's Richard Honeycomb, St Peter's Richard Vibert and St Mary's David Johnson keep their positions.

The results mean there are four female Constables, the most there has ever been at one time.

Deputy results

The big story is Jersey has its youngest ever States member.

18 year old Gabriel Raimondo finished third in St Brelade, behind Jonathan Renouf and Reform's Montfort Tadier, ahead of the party's other candidate John Young.

He turned 18 during the campaign, and deferred taking his A levels to run for office.

He told Channel 103:

"It is just incredible.  It's so amazing to know the work I have put in, and the conversations I have had with people, can really go to something now.

"It feels like all the work was really worth it."

Raimondo is a supporter of Value Jersey, one of six to be elected.

Samantha Gleave (VJ) topped the poll in St Helier South, elected along with Reform Jersey's Tom Coles and Beatriz Porree.  Reform's Carla Jardim narrowly missed out by 27 votes.

Gerald Voisin (VJ) also finished first in St Helier North. The owner of Voisins department store was previously a States member 1999-2005.    Also in St Helier North,  Max Andrews keeps his seat and newcomer Victoria Li was elected in third place.

Elsewhere, Kirsten Morel kept his place as deputy in St John, St Lawrence and Trinity where Hilary Jeune topped the poll, followed by newcomer Phil Romeril (Value Jersey).  Peter McLinton finished last.

Deputy Morel feared a backlash over the DFDS ferry contract, but says his messaging around how the decision was taken seems to have worked.

"Delighted to be retaining my place and I hope I can carry on some of the work I have been doing with French relations and in agriculture and tourism.

He says the campaign in his district was good, but that was not reflected more widely:

" I worry about Jersey and its undercurrent of nastiness that comes out on social media.  It is harmed our democracy and it is not good.

Of Reform Jersey's results: "Partly that result might speak to the tone of some of the social media engagement.  Perhaps it shows that Jersey does not reward divisiveness, and neither should we."

Malcolm Ferey finished top in St Saviour, with Louise Doublet second and newcomers Chris Leck, and Robert Parker (Value Jersey) also elected.

In the western district,  St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter, Lucy Stephenson came top, followed by newcomers Arlene Maltman and Chris Rebindaine.

He told Channel 103:

"The island has reached a crossroads, where I wanted to get involved.  I am very keen to get out finances back under control."

Grouville and St Clement keep their existing representation - Deputies Carolyn Labey and Rose Binet, and Deputies Alex Curtis, Barbara Ward and Karen Wilson.

A record 22 women have been elected the new States, a increase of one on the last Assembly.

13 are new faces, three are returning States Members and 33 are incumbent politicians.