Three United Bermuda Party stalwarts will tonight battle it out to see who represents the party in one of the seats it lost to Bermuda Democratic Alliance.

Former chairman Jeff Sousa, Senator Jeanne Atherden and lifelong supporter Roderick Simons have put themselves forward as candidates in Warwick West, the traditional UBP seat currently held by the BDA's Mark Pettingill.

Mr. Sousa has gone for a maximum profile campaign, putting up a giant banner bearing his face and the words: "I will work hard for Warwick, for Bermuda, for you. Vote Jeff Sousa," in Burnt House Hill.

Sen. Atherden, the sister of Pembroke West election hopeful Erwin Adderley and daughter of 1960s UBP candidate Pearl Adderley, says she believes black people need to stand up and be counted.

Mr. Simons, a former bank worker now a taxi operator, has thrown his hat into the ring several times before, fighting unsuccessfully against Premier Ewart Brown in Warwick South Central at the last General Election.

Mr. Sousa, who resigned as chairman earlier this month to try to become the candidate for Constituency 28, has previously traded angry public comments with Mr. Pettingill, who won the seat as a UBP candidate in December 2007, but later quit along with Shawn Crockwell and Donte Hunt to form the BDA.

Mr. Sousa would not be drawn on Mr. Pettingill yesterday, but declared his ambitions by making a reference to his epitaph. "I want my dash to mean something. Born 1960 — dash. I want that to mean something," said Mr. Sousa.

"I truly believe that a life devoid of doing something for others is a life devoid of meaning.

"I want people to judge me not on the work canvassing in the last month, I want them to judge me on the work I have done in the community in the last 30 years. That clearly shows I'm a man of the people."

Born and bred in the area, Mr. Sousa's landscape company also borders the constituency.

"I go to sleep in Warwick West, I wake up in Warwick West, I'm talking to you right now from my business which is 100 feet away from Warwick West," he said.

Sen. Atherden, who also lives in the area, is a former branch secretary who has been in the Senate since replacing Charlie Swan two years ago.

"At that point in time, everyone was saying the UBP are dead, they are dying," said Sen. Atherden.

"I felt that it's still viable. Lots of people support it; the UBP got 47 percent of the vote at the last election.

"I realised a lot of people that were black were a little concerned, a little intimidated, about coming forward. I took the position that still the party has a lot to offer, it needs the people that look like me to stand up."

Mr. Simons could not be reached last night.

All three potential candidates will make a speech at St. Mary's Church Hall this evening, before branch members vote on their representative.