Marconi Leal Jr. Filling Father’s Shoes in Belize Rural North

In Belize Rural North, a son is following in his father’s footsteps. P.U.P. candidate Marconi Leal Junior clinched a landslide victory in the 2025 General Elections, taking over the post from his father, Marconi Leal Senior. Facing off against two other candidates, Leal Junior emerged triumphant. Now, let’s hear more from News Five’s Britney Gordon.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Following a landslide victory for the People’s United Party, Marconi Leal Jr. is now the area representative for Belize Rural North. This win is one of the twenty-six seats secured by the P.U.P. in the 2025 General Elections. Although Leal Jr. was new to the race, he assured voters at the start of the day that he was no stranger to them.

 

Marconi Leal Jr., Area Representative, Belize Rural North

“I’ve been working with my dad over the past four years and I’ve been the PUP chairman of the executive. So I’ve been working with him and definitely across the constituency. So I’m well known across the constituency.”

 

Sabreena Daly

“Talk to me about the work that was involved, not only as a standard bearer after nomination, but prior to that. Are the people familiar with who you are?”

 

Marconi Leal

“They’ve been familiar because I’ve been involved in all the project. I’ve supported all the village councils. I’ve been involved with all the sporting events, all the tournaments that we have, all the projects that we do, the land distribution that we’ve been doing. So, definitely well known.”

 

Belize Rural North covers twenty-five villages and has over five thousand registered voters. Delphin Henderson, a resident of Burrell Boom, shared that he came out to vote with the hope of finally seeing the changes the constituency has needed for years.

 

Delphin Henderson, Voter, Belize Rural Central

“People who have land, they need to cut their land so that Burrell Boom have a beautiful place to live in. Now, Burrell Boom is one of twenty-five villages that are a part of the Belize Rural North constituency. Based on the entire time that you have been living here in Burrell Boom, all your life as you mentioned, have some of these changes that you have hoped for come to fruition? Or, what’s the state of Burrell Boom? Has it been one of those villages that has been left out? Yes, it’s been left out. Because I noh see nothing the both parties doing so that kids need to have a beautiful park. I don’t see no one like that.”

 

Leal faced off against United Democratic Party candidate Eustace Shaw and Belize Justice Movement candidate Andrew Reynolds. Leal had the advantage of a strong support system, thanks to his father, former area representative Marconi Leal Sr. After stepping down from the race earlier this year, Leal Sr. has been fully backing his son’s campaign.

 

Marconi Leal Sr., Former Area Representative, Belize Rural North

“Today is one of the easiest election ever in Belize, rural north. It is so easy. I’m amazed and I believe it’s because of the work we have put in over the last four years plus months We are a family that work and my son was always the chairman of the executive and he was always pushing me and we together with my other boys and my wife, we have done a lot of work in Belize Rural North. I know you are from Burrell Boom and you’ve seen some of the work we have done on the community grounds we have paved some roads there in Burrell Boom also, cemented almost a mile. So we have done a lot of work in Belize Rural North.”

 

As expected in such a large constituency, the vote counting stretched late into the night. After tallying three thousand, two hundred and fifty-two ballots, Marconi Leal Jr. was declared the winner, securing a landslide victory over his opponents.

 

Returning Officer, Belize Rural North

“For the candidate Mr. Marconi, Jr. vote two thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight  for Mr. Reynolds, Andrew Truth, fifty-six,  for Mr. Shae Eustace, Big C,  two hundred and ninety-eight, a total number of votes, three thousand three hundred and fifty-two we have rejected ballots, sixty-three, objected zero.  I thereby declare that the duly elected candidate for Belize Rural North is no other than Mr. Leal Marconi  Devane Leal.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.