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Andrew Michael Holness, (born 22 July 1972) is a Jamaican politician who has served as Prime Minister of Jamaica since 3 March 2016, having previously served from 2011 to 2012, and as Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) since 2011.
Holness previously served as Prime Minister from 23 October 2011 to 5 January 2012. He succeeded Bruce Golding as Prime Minister and decided to go to the polls in the 29 December 2011 general election in an attempt to get his own mandate from the Jamaican electorate. He failed in that bid, however, losing to the People's National Party led by Portia Simpson-Miller, with the PNP gaining 42 seats to the JLP's 21. Following that defeat, Holness served as Leader of the Opposition from January 2012 to March 2016, when he once again assumed the position of prime minister. In 2020, the Labour Party won a landslide in another general election, and on 7 September Holness was sworn in for another term as Prime Minister.
In October 2011, at the age of 39, Holness became the youngest person ever to be Prime Minister in Jamaica's history. In March 2016, aged 43, he became the youngest to ever be elected Prime Minister. He is also the first head of government to receive a Doctorate degree while serving in office, at present, the only currently serving Head of State to have completed a Doctorate degree while serving in office. He is the first prime minister to have been born after Jamaica gained independence in 1962. He is currently the longest-serving prime minister from the Jamaica Labour Party.
After completing his degree, Holness worked as executive director of the Voluntary Organization for Uplifting Children (VOUCH) from 1994 to 1996. It was there that he met Edward Seaga, at that time the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). During his time at VOUCH, Holness completed a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Development Studies at the University of the West Indies. Holness joined the Premium Group of Companies, led by Seaga, and worked as his special assistant and financial manager.
In 2024, Holness completed a Doctor of Law and Policy degree at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, a type of professional doctorate. His thesis focused on the impact of American gun laws on violence in Jamaican society.
Holness was announced as the JLP candidate in St Andrew West Central constituency in October 1997, ahead of the 1997 general election in December. He was the youngest candidate in the election, at age 25. In his constituency, he was running against Warren Blake of the People's National Party (PNP) and Steve Daley of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). After the initial count, Holness was the projected winner of the seat. However, when the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) released the full results in late December, they did not announce a winner in St Andrew West Central, as there were several irregularities, including missing boxes of vote and ballots spoiled after the initial count. On 28 December, Holness was declared winner of the seat, although the matter was not considered settled. Holness was sworn in as member of parliament on 24 February 1998, delayed by a magisterial recount. On 5 March 1998, he lost the seat, as the Election Court had ordered a re-election, which was held on 26 March.
Blake won the re-election, however, due to more irregularities, including voter intimidation and corrupt electoral management at four polling stations, the re-election was overturned in those districts. In the second re-election on 31 June, Blake required 735 votes to beat Holness, but only garnered 688, so Holness was declared the winner of the seat. Shortly after entering the house, Holness was appointed as the opposition spokesperson on land, development, and housing, and he became a member of the economy and production and infrastructure and physical development committees.
Holness retained his seat in the 2002 general election.
In 2002, he switched portfolio to Housing and then Education in 2005. Holness became Minister of Education in the cabinet of Bruce Golding in 2007.
The JLP, however, lost the election to the PNP, which gained a large majority of 42 to the JLP's 21 parliamentary seats. Portia Simpson-Miller and the PNP returned to power. The voter turnout was 53.17%. Caribbean Elections: Jamaican Election Centre, "Jamaican general election results 29 December 2011" http://www.caribbeanelections.com/jm/elections/jm_results_2011.asp Retrieved 24 December 2020.
He is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[[File:Secretary_Blinken_Meets_with_Jamaican_Prime_Minister_Holness_%2851975508813%29.jpg|thumb|Andrew Holness meeting with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 1 April 2022]]
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