JAMAICA | Andrea Purkiss: The People's Candidate and her Vision for Eastern Hanover

HOPEWELL,  Hanover, Jamaica May 7, 2025 - In the rolling hills of Cascade, a small village nestled in Eastern Hanover, a political revolution is brewing. Its catalyst? Andrea Purkiss—not an imported candidate parachuted in for electoral convenience, but a daughter of the soil whose roots run as deep as the parish's centuries-old trees.

"I am you," Purkiss declares with the quiet confidence of someone who needs no introduction to the land that shaped her. Born and raised in the constituency she now seeks to represent, Purkiss stands as a living testament to both Hanover's struggles and its untapped potential.

The Montego Bay and Rusea's High School graduate is no stranger to the harsh realities facing rural communities. Yet her perspective has been broadened by experiences beyond parish boundaries, working and living in other parts of Jamaica and internationally.

This dual perspective—deeply local yet globally informed—forms the cornerstone of her political philosophy.

Purkiss takes particular pride in representing Hanover Parish, which celebrated its 300th anniversary on November 12, 2023—a milestone that passed with too little recognition.

"Many people don't know that our parish was named after the House of Hanover in Germany, the royal house of British monarch George I," she often tells constituents, sharing her passion for the rich history of the region she calls home.

"I choose Hanover Eastern every day," Purkiss emphasizes, her words carrying the weight of authentic commitment. Unlike candidates who parachute in for elections, she has never truly left. "Cascade has always been my home," she insists.

"My time away was only for school and work, but I've always maintained my family home here. If you want to find me, I'm at Cascade."

This isn't mere campaign rhetoric. For almost two decades, Purkiss has honed her skills as a Manager and Director in Sales and Marketing, with particular expertise in tourism marketing—that critical economic engine driving the majority of Jamaica's GDP.

Her career spans both Jamaica and the United States, giving her intimate knowledge of the industry that could transform Hanover's economic landscape.

Now, she intends to apply these hard-earned business strategies to constituency management—a refreshing departure from the empty promises that have left Eastern Hanover in developmental limbo.

"I understand that I owe you the same things any business leader owes to the people who depend on them: performance, accountability, trust and integrity," she states, outlining a governance model rarely seen in Jamaican politics. Yet she is quick to clarify that behind the business approach beats a heart firmly focused on people: "people power and people politics."

Her campaign touches a raw nerve when addressing the constituency's neglected infrastructure. "As rural Jamaicans, we all know how to 'tun we han' and mek fashion' or to 'mek something out of nothing'," Purkiss acknowledges, tapping into the resourcefulness that has become both a source of pride and a necessary survival skill for Hanoverians.

"But I will advocate for Eastern Hanoverians to receive long-promised basic necessities that other parishes take for granted—water when we turn the pipe on, and roads that we can drive on."

The statement lands with particular force in a constituency where residents have become accustomed to dry pipes and crater-filled roads that transform into muddy quagmires with each rainfall.

Based on extensive community consultations, Purkiss has developed a six-pillar agenda focusing on economic prosperity through job creation and small business support; educational excellence; accessible healthcare; environmental stewardship; social justice; and community engagement—a framework comprehensive enough to address the constituency's most pressing needs while creating pathways for sustainable development.

Unlike politicians who view their constituencies as mere stepping stones to power in Kingston, Purkiss places her loyalty squarely with the people of Eastern Hanover. "My first responsibility is to the youth, elders, farmers and business owners, my family and my friends," she affirms.

With the backing of the People's National Party, she aims to transform not just Eastern Hanover but contribute to building a better Jamaica—starting from the place that made her.

In a political landscape often dominated by candidates with tenuous connections to the constituencies they seek to represent, Purkiss stands out as a true child of Eastern Hanover returning to lead its renaissance. But she doesn't stand alone.

She brings with her a formidable team of three councillors who demonstrated their electoral strength in the last local government elections: Wynter McIntosh from the Chester Castle Division 1; Lennox "Zico" Fray from the expansive Hopewell Division 2; and Deputy Mayor Andria Dehaney from the breadbasket Sandy Bay Division 3—all of whom secured handsome victories for the People's National Party.

This proven electoral coalition represents a significant advantage for Purkiss, offering her not just political support but a deep network of community connections spanning the constituency.

Unlike candidates who must build their political machinery from scratch, Purkiss inherits an established infrastructure of successful local representatives already attuned to the community's needs.

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