The PLP should field a white candidate, Jonathan Smith, to stand a chance of wresting Devonshire South Central from the Opposition, according to political pundit Phil Perinchief.The former PLP Senator spoke out as the party geared up to announce today their representative for the crunch by-election.He believes “race is still a factor” in politics, and sees a white candidate as the best chance for a shock PLP win in a constituency he describes as a “a very white, traditional stronghold” for the Opposition.The by-election was sparked when John Barritt, who is white and has served as Devonshire South Central's MP for 18 years, stepped down last week.Mr Barritt had been interim leader of the One Bermuda Alliance [OBA] since it was formed to replace the United Bermuda Party [UBP] in May, stealing most of the UBP's MPs in the process.The new leader of the OBA, black Senator Craig Cannonier, now plans to mount a successful bid for Mr Barritt's seat and land himself a place in the House of Assembly. The election will take place on November 1, just three days before the reopening of Parliament. Devonshire South Central has historically been a rock in the United Bermuda Party's foundation. Now the OBA has taken that party's place as the official Opposition, Mr Perinchief views the by-election as the first test of the new party's mettle and a potential disaster for them if the PLP score a surprise win.The identity of the planned PLP candidate has remained under wraps pending today's announcement, but names in the frame are thought to include Linda Merritt, who stood there against Mr Barritt in 2007 and gained just 122 votes compared to his 722. Another potential runner could be former Police Commissioner Mr Smith, who together with Health Minister Zane DeSilva, is one of only two white PLP representatives in Parliament. He has served as a Senator since April, having joined the PLP in August 2009.Mr Perinchief said: “If I were the Premier I would run in that constituency someone like Jonathan Smith for a host of obvious reasons, chief of which is that he is a man of integrity, bright, capable and white. He would constitute the litmus test against which the PLP and the country at large could measure and evaluate just how far diehard UBP traditional white voters are prepared to move to supporting a PLP government. Race, I'm afraid, is unfortunately still a factor in Bermudian politics and must be taken into account in any winning strategy.”He said of the situation overall: “This by-election could be a political minefield for the PLP. They would, if wholly successful, knock out an-up-and coming OBA leader's bid for Parliament and capture a key constituency. “This is hugely psychologically powerful in that it would be morally and politically demoralising and debilitating for both the UBP and OBA. It would also constitute an early gauge or barometer of the strength or weakness of the union of the UBP-OBA and how the former UBP supporters split their votes between a UBP candidate and an OBA candidate. “This is a barometer for both Paula Cox's PLP and Kim Swan's decimated UBP in that the PLP might, at a minimum, gain many disgruntled UBP votes or even win as a result of the splitting of votes mentioned earlier if the respective strengths of the UBP and OBA are near equal. “Kim Swan too would have a practical means of ascertaining how much, if any, traditional support his UBP has lost to OBA for the most part.“The OBA leadership will also be in a position to gauge how much influence it has in a UBP stronghold and apply this knowledge to a looming General Election strategy and tactic. It is clear to the discerning that this contest could prove a bonanza for any political strategist worth his or her salt.”When informed of Mr Perinchief's remarks, Mr Smith refused to confirm or deny whether he is the candidate, and said: “I am a little humbled by Phil's comments but totally respect the party's process by which a candidate will be chosen for Constituency 12, Devonshire South Central.”Ms Merritt and Mr Swan declined to comment.