KINGSTON, Jamaica—People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for the Kingston Central constituency Steve McGregor says he is going nowhere and is confident he will win the next general election.

The retired Senior Superintendent of Police lost the previously safe PNP seat to the Jamaica Labour Party’s Donovan Williams by 75 votes in the September 2025 general election. He had been declared the winner by 12 votes on the night of the election but the official count showed Williams had retained the seat he first won in an upset in the 2020 general election.

McGregor says he remains committed to the constituency and believes voters will give him their support the next time Jamaicans head to the polls. The next general election is constitutionally due in 2030.

“We are going to have a local government election that is due in 2028 and after that, 2029, 2030, we might have a general election. But I am prepared for even a general election before the local government because of the mismanagement that is going on. So we are ready and this is a part of what we do to show that I, as the representative for the People’s National Party in Central Kingston, is in fact ready,” McGregor said.

He was speaking at Rollington Town Primary school on Saturday in the constituency as part of a two-day back-to-school drive where school supplies were distributed to students and families.

“Through our networking effort, we got over 450 bags. So we split it into four divisions. We did Allman Town, we are at Franklyn Town. We’ll do Spoilers (Rose Gardens), Wildman Street, and then Rae Town, down by the seaside there. So we want to spread it. We realise how challenging it is for our parents in today’s day and time. I can remember when I attended school, and in fact, I attended this school that we are standing in here. When we were going to basic school, we didn’t get book lists. These teachers are getting book lists for them to outfit kids to go to school. So we are fitting out the bags with basic books, pencils, sharpeners, some have geometry sets, crayons, all that we could have found,” McGregor outlined.

McGregor also urged the government to do more to assist parents with the resources needed for the new school term, noting that the cost of books and other educational supplies is enormous and that many parents are struggling to meet the expenses.

“We’re going to have to do better as a country as to how we reach out to these parents in managing these young people and the starting point of their young careers. I’m thinking that when we win, because we are going to win the next time round, I will have to be a part of something that will make this better for them so they can feel more empowered dealing with their kids going back to school,” he said.