Mara Thompson

Marie-Josephine Mara Thompson (born 4 October 1961) is a Saint Lucian-born Barbadian politician, educator and widow of the sixth Prime Minister of Barbados, David Thompson, who died in office on 23 October 2010. After being chosen as the most favored candidate. Thompson won the special by-election to succeed her husband in the Saint John constituency on Thursday, 20 January 2011, holding the seat for the Democratic Labour Party.

Early life and education Thompson was born Marie-Josephine Mara Giraudy in Saint Lucia on 4 October 1961 to Monica and Henry Giraudy. Her father, Henry Giraudy Q.C., was a prominent Saint Lucian lawyer and politician,

In early January 2011, Mara Thompson confirmed her intent to contest the special election called to fill the seat of her late husband in the Saint John constituency. David Thompson had held since the Saint John seat from 1987 to 2010, succeeding the late Prime Minister Errol Barrow, who also died in office. Thompson won 60 of the DLP's 69 votes, defeating several potential DLP candidates, who included Leroy McClean, Anthony Walrond, Vere Brathwaite, David Gittens and Peter David.

Her main opponent in the election was businessman Hudson Griffith of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). Saint Lucian Prime Minister Stephenson King and Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.

Mara Thompson won the special by-election on 20 January 2011, by a landslide. Thompson won all 23 of the election ballot boxes in the Saint John constituency. She performed better than David Thompson did in the 2008 general election, when he secured approximately 4,300 votes in the constituency.

Personal life Mara and her husband, the late David Thompson, had three daughters - Misha, Oya and Osa-Marie. Thompson and her family reside in Mapps, St. Philip.