Ruling party backbencher Randy Horton was yesterday rolled out as the party’s election candidate for Southampton West.Premier Paula Cox described Mr Horton as a “drum major for social justice and equity” and a good team player.Mr Horton first entered parliament as the MP for Hamilton West in the 1998 election which saw the Progressive Labour Party come to power for the first time.But he has been MP for Southampton West since 2003.“I entered politics because I am a champion of fairness, justice and equality for all in our communities,” he said.“When I joined the PLP in 1966 on my return from college, there was much work that needed to be done to bring about equality in our country.“At that time, blacks were second-class citizens as very ably described by Dr. Eva Hodgson in her book ‘First Class Men Second Class Citizens’.“It has been a classic experience to be part of the movement that brought about the change that saw the PLP gain power in 1998 and guide Bermuda since then.”He listed some of his achievements which he said includes “remodelling of Death Valley Playing Field, including paving of the basketball court”, security fencing along eastern boundary of Rockaway, renaming Southampton Glebe School as Dalton E Tucker Primary, “ensuring progress at Morgan’s Point development” and seeing to it that senior golfers paid lower fees to play at the Port Royal Golf Course.In several ministerial roles between 2001 and 2008, Mr Horton said that he had appointed a Women in Sport Committee to address ways to eliminate any barriers to encouraging girls’ and women’s participation in sport and ensured the creation of Motorsport Park at Apron 5, Southside.Mr Horton also piloted Police and Criminal Evidence Act 2004 through parliament which he said had led to improved policing in Bermuda.And he brought forward legislation that increased penalties for violence and weapons offences at pub public events.But Mr Horton said that his time as Education Minister was the most challenging and exciting.“I commissioned the 2007 review of education,” he said. “Education is in my blood.”He said: “I keep a keen eye on what’s happening in education in an effort to impact positive change, because I truly believe education and success in education eventually is what leads to a successful and productive community.”Mr Horton reminded the public that he had legislated school-based accountability and raised school leaving age to 18 as well as increased the powers of the Board of Education.And he had seen to amendments of the Bermuda College Act which led to “free education for Bermudians at college”.He said he was a strong advocate of parliamentary select committees.“Politics should not get in the way of improving education or improving safety in our community,” he said.“As a result of that I was responsible for a joint committee on education which gave that committee an opportunity to criticise what I was doing.”And he was responsible for setting up another joint select committee on the Causes of Violent Crime and Gun Violence in Bermuda.“I certainly will continue to champion fairness, justice and equality for all,” he said.“I fully support the new wave of renewable energy that will bring significant savings on electricity to households.”Mr Horton said that he envisioned Tudor Hill as a site for renewable energy.And in the future he will continue to support naming of schools and other public facilities after citizens who have made significant contributions to the Island.On the Morgan’s Point development he said that it does not become a gated community where some people are denied access.“I am committed towards the enhancement of the quality of life for the residents of Constituency 32, specifically and our Island generally.”And he called on voters to return the PLP to Government so it could “lead the country out of the economic downturn which has been visited upon us by the recession in the United States in particular and the worldwide recession more generally.“The PLP needs to be returned for government to continue its program of job creation and job preparedness as indicated by the work of Job Corps.“The PLP needs to be returned as government so that the march towards educational reform along with higher achievement levels is continued.”Following his prepared remarks, Mr Horton was asked whether he was pleased with the pace of education reform.“Everyone wants it to move faster. I sat in that place, and I was moved from it, I am told, because it was moving too slowly,” he said.“But certainly, everyone wants it to be quicker and rightly so because it is so important. But at the same time we have to be mindful of the fact that it just doesn’t happen.”Asked if he had any ambitions to be Premier he said: “No. I have no ambitions whatsoever to be Premier. My ambition is to represent the constituents of 32 to the best of my ability and I ask for their support.”Mr Horton handily won re-election to parliament in the 2007 election carting away 629 votes against the United Bermuda Party’s Charlie Swan.