Gibbs captured 1,852 votes in St. Martin and 789 in St. Barths which brings his total votes to 2,641 (39.90%). In second place was Guillaume Arnell with 1,597 votes in St. Martin but only 98 in St. Barths, this brought his total to 1,695 (25.61%). Gibbs and Arnell will be the two main front runners heading into Saturday's run-off election.
Louis Mussington had 982 votes in St. Martin and 125 in St. Barths for a total of 1,107 (16.72%). Jacques Hamlet, arguably an outsider, fared better than Louis Jeffry by taking 455 votes in St. Martin and 56 in St. Barths which brought his total to 511 votes (7.72%). Louis Jeffry won 324 votes in St. Martin and 29 in St. Barths for a total of 353 (5.33%). Nicole Thiebault garnered 201 votes in St. Martin and 111 in St. Barths for a total of 312 (4.7%).
SMN News has been reliably informed that Louis Mussington and Louis Jeffry will be endorsing Guillaume Arnell as early as Monday. Discussions were also held with Jacques Hamlet but it is not yet known if Hamlet will call on his supporters to vote for Guillaume Arnell.
Supporters of the RRR party said they believe they lost votes because the party did not work as hard to campaign for the legislative elections because they felt they still had the same momentum from the territorial elections held two months ago.
Out of a possible 17,853 eligible voters, 5,560 persons cast their ballots at thirteen polling stations in St. Martin on Saturday (31.14%). From that figure 5,411 were legitimate votes. There were 149 blank votes. For both islands 6,619 legitimate votes (29.11%) were cast out of a possible 22,734.
Shortly after the results were released, Gibbs thanked the voters in St. Martin and St. Barths who came out to the polls on Saturday.
"There could have been, should have been, more voters because these are historic elections for the Northern Islands," he said in a statement. "We the elected officials are responsible for our citizen's lack of interest in politics. I repeat that one of my major priorities will be to reconcile our people with politics."
"I would also like to congratulate the other candidates for their respective forceful ways in defending their ideas and for the good debate performances carried out with dignity, respecting the individuals, throughout the campaign of this first round. I appeal for unity today: more than a man, it is the Northern Islands that should be the winners of these historical elections."
"Finally, I address a special cordial thank you to the voters, who placed the duet that I formed with Karine Miot at the top of this first round in order to make the Northern Islands win. In St. Martin as well as in St. Barths, you have placed us at the head of the vote: I consider these votes as a new stage of this contract of trust that I have with you for the five coming years. I will honor without failing the contract with obligation of results on our territories as well as in Paris, with the same enthusiasm, energy and will, to the service of the general interest. The battle continues: I'll meet you at the polls next Saturday."