Abby Taylor, 36, created history on December 9 when she was selected as the youngest Tobago House of Assembly (THA) presiding officer. The Mary Hill native was the lone unsuccessful Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) candidate in the December 6 THA elections, which her party won by a landslide 14-1. Taylor lost the Daryl Spring/ Whim electoral district to the PNM's Kelvon Morris.
In an exclusive interview with Newsday, Taylor said she feels privileged to serve at the Assembly Legislature – albeit in a different capacity than she anticipated.
Asked how she managed the disappointment of election night when the entire island was in euphoria celebrating the PDP's stunning victory to end a 20-year PNM reign, Taylor said it was a roller-coaster of emotions. However, she has put this behind her.
"I’m happy for everyone, I’m really glad how everything played out because you get to see democracy happen and for it to happen how it happened – it’s totally fine with it.”
Election night disappointment
However, on the night of December 6 she was anything but fine.
“I cried – the excitement of the evening ended with me in tears, like literal tears.”
She said as the polls closed and the results started to trickle in there was a change in her mood.
“Because our votes were so close, it was really a neck-and-neck race. The two polling stations at Bishop’s – he lost one, I won one, and then it literally came down to the last two which was Darrel Spring/Whim. After Bishop’s, that was when I really started to feel emotional.”
She said she left her election office and went to the Tambrin Square carpark along with one of her campaign managers and just sat there.
“Prior to that, I called my best friend crying. I was like, 'I can’t believe with all the hard work that I would have done over the past year, because I did not stop canvassing – I did not stop – from January to December. It was me walking, getting to know people, remaining on the ground and staying true to my commitment, helping as much persons as I can. I felt as if it was another defeated moment, and I needed some reassurance.”
In her moment of despair and disappointment, she turned to prayer.
“I said, 'God, you know what, your will be done and to God be the glory.”
[caption id="attachment_936908" align="alignnone" width="694"] THA Presiding Officer Abby Taylor at the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough. - David Reid[/caption]
She said two calls from her campaign officer further wrecked her emotions – one calling to tell her she lost the seat, and the other to say that she won Whim, which she had considered impossible because her opponent resided there.
"We went back to the office and there were a lot of people just there and I could not believe that the projections were showing that I would have won and we would have won 15-nil. I was in awe for a couple hours.”
She said she went home to rest and woke up the next morning feeling like it was all a dream. However, the Elections and Boundaries Commission confirmed the next day that she had lost
