Cocoyea/Tarouba councillor: The people have faith in me

With the recount confirming that the incumbent PNM Cocoyea/Tarouba councillor Teresa Lynch has retained the marginal district, she said her victory shows the people have faith in her.

"The campaign was heartwarming and amazing. The people were pleased with the work I did and the fact that I was able to get things done," Lynch told Newsday on Wednesday.

"I am prepared to get back to the needs of the residents. I am prepared to stand with them and continue to serve them. I am committed to keeping up with my track record with them and building on their trust in me."

The recount results from Tuesday's Elections and Boundaries and Commission (EBC) showed Lynch winning by 45 votes with 1,207 votes.

UNC's Shane Samlal received an additional vote in the recount, which amounted to 1,162.

The EBC received 14 recount requests, two from the PNM and 12 from the UNC, after Monday's local government elections.

Given the close race, Lynch said she expected her opponent to request a recount.

"It was not nerve-racking, because, for the most part, the win was sure for me. I was just waiting for the due process to take place," the 36-year-old mother of one told Newsday.

The latest results mark her third time in office. The previous two were from 2016-2019 and 2019-2023.

Lynch works as an industrial relations officer with Namdevco and is a law student at the University of London.

She said many of her supporters were out of the country and expressed sadness they were not present to cast their votes.

Lynch added, "But the love and appreciation has been overwhelming. I am looking forward to continuing to serve the people.

"My district is the largest in the city. I represent communities like Cocoyea, Tarouba, Gopaul Lands, Marabella, and Orchid Gardens in Pleasantville.

"The needs of every community are different."

Lynch recalled that in 2016, she won the seat by 116 votes. The EBC then shifted boundaries, making the seat marginal.

"In 2019, I had one of the hardest fights, as one of my strongest polling divisions was no longer part of my district. For that reason, I won by 34 votes," she said.

That division falls within the UNC-held Pointe-a-Pierre constituency.

Before Lynch, attorney and calypsonian Rondell Donawa, also of the PNM, held the seat.

Lynch's father, Leslie Lynch, a former councillor, held the seat for 14 years until around 2009/2010.

In the last election of 2019, the PNM won six seats and lost three.

The PNM retained a hold on the San Fernando City Corporation, winning five seats and losing four to the UNC in Monday's elections.