Dayton Baptiste (born 1965) is a Dominican politician in the

Dominica Labour Party The Dominica Labour Party is a centre-left social-democratic political party in Dominica. History Founded in 1955 by Phyllis Shand Allfrey and Emmanuel Christopher Loblack, the Dominica Labour Party is the oldest political party in Dominica. N ...

, and a former police officer in Antigua. He served briefly as an appointed senator in the

Dominica House of Assembly Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

in 2010, and has twice been an unsuccessful candidate for an elected seat.

Biography

Baptiste was born in

Marigot, Dominica Marigot is the largest settlement of Saint Andrew Parish in northeastern Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. ...

, and graduated from the Marigot Foundation High School.. He emigrated to Antigua in 1983, where he helped build houses for the homeless as part of a project for his church. Baptiste then served as an officer in the Royal Antigua Police Force for 18 years, achieving the rank of corporal. After leaving the police force, he remained in Antigua, where he joined the Fire Service and started a bakery. Baptiste returned to Dominica to contest the Marigot constituency on the Labour Party ticket in the 2009 general election. He lost to the opposition United Workers' Party (UWP) candidate, former

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Edison James Edison Chenfil James (born October 18, 1943, in Marigot) is a Dominican politician who was the prime minister of Dominica from June 14, 1995, to February 3, 2000, as well as the member of parliament for the Marigot constituency from 1990. He gr ...

, on 18 December 2009, with 228 votes to James' 835 votes (21.4% to 78.6%). Baptiste was then appointed to serve as a senator in the House of Assembly on 4 February 2010. Baptiste resigned his seat to again contest the Marigot constituency in a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

after James' seat was declared vacant due to the UWP boycott of the House of Assembly. Baptiste again lost to James on 9 July 2010, with 131 votes to James' 669 (16.4% to 83.8%).. See also .

References

1965 births Living people People from Saint Andrew Parish, Dominica Dominica Labour Party politicians Members of the House of Assembly of Dominica Antigua and Barbuda police officers Dominica emigrants Immigrants to Antigua and Barbuda {{dominica-politician-stub