Cora Richardson-Hodge was sworn in Thursday, February 27, 2025 as the first female Premier of Anguilla. Photo: LOOP News

Her swearing was scheduled for 3:00 PM local time.

Richardson-Hodge’s Anguilla United Front romped to a convincing victory winning eight of the 11 seats following Wednesday’s general elections.

Outgoing Premier Dr Ellis Webster, increased his margin in District 1, but most of the candidates of his Auguilla Progressive Movement lost grounds.

The AUF won four of the seven district seats, and all four of the islandwide contests.

In Anguilla voters have five votes – one for their district candidates, and four others, which is tallied from all the districts.

The AUF made a clean sweep of the four at large seats, with the biggest winner of the night being Kyle Hodge.

It will be the second term for Hodge, who had won as a rookie five years ago with the APM. But he left the government mid-term in a protest against its tax policies.

Hodge appeared to ride on a cross party appeal to be the night’s biggest winners. He crossed the threshold of over 4,000 islandwide votes – meaning a third of everyone who voted cast a ballot for him.

This sets him up to be a major player in the new administration.

Now Former Education Minister DeeAnn Kentish Rogers, who created history the last time by defeating a sitting Premier, lost her seat to an AUF newcomer Cordel Richardson.

Kentish-Rogers, hailed as a rising local political star, was the target of one of the most intense campaigns.

Also losing their seats were Quincia Gumbs Marie and Kenneth Hodge – both members of the ougoing cabinet.

Colleagues Haydn Hughes, the now former Tourism Minister and Merrick Richardson were the two other APM candidates to have retained their seats.