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Damion Crawford is facing the battle of his life to capture the East Rural St Andrew seat for the People's National Party (PNP) in the December 29 general election.
He is facing the wily veteran politician and former member of parliament for the constituency Joan Gordon-Webley, who is trying to ensure that the seat remains in the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) win column.
But even if Crawford suffers a defeat in his first time at representational politics, he has already made a mark in the political hustings.
Whenever he takes the political stage, he excites the crowd the way only some of the real political heavyweights have ever done.
Crawford could do no wrong
On Saturday, it was almost two minutes after he reached the podium before he could get in his first full sentence.
Once he was introduced and flashed his dreadlocks, there was pandemonium as thousands of comrades went crazy.
"Hold on no man. The time is going to finish and me no get to talk," shouted Crawford, as he begged the crowd to settle down.
But that only riled them up more as the music system blared, "She say she in love with the rasta man," the line from the song by Proteje and Kymani Marley.
When, he was finally allowed to speak, Crawford could do no wrong for the crowd as he dubbed himself, 'Comrade Can't Lose'.
"I see a poll come out that say only 34 per cent of the people say they have a favourable rating of me. They call me on the phone and I say that is only because I have met only 34 per cent of the people. When I meet the other 66 per cent then 100 per cent of the people will be in favour of me," declared Crawford to deafening cheers.
"The race in East Rural St Andrew is a simple one, it is a race between the ex-MP and the next MP," declared Crawford.
Even when he turned to serious issues, including the difference in approach by the PNP and the JLP to education, Crawford held his audience spellbound.
Based on the latest Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll, the PNP trails the JLP by four percentage points as the party most likely to take the seat after the votes are counted on December 29.
But that four percentage point lead is within the statistical margin of error leaving the two parties deadlocked.
However, when residents of the constituency were asked which of the two candidates they would like to see elected 41 per cent said Gordon-Webley while 34 per cent said Crawford and 25 per cent were undecided.
That leaves Crawford with much work to do if he is to match his boast that he will be the first "rastaman to take his seat in the Chamber at Gordon House".
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