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At the count, he was the loser by thirteen votes, but there were ninety-nine rejected ballots, most of which he contested were good votes cast for him.
He petitioned the High Court for a recount, and on that recount was declared winner by twenty-two votes.
His opponent, Anthony Ribeiro, appealed against this decision and lost, confirming Kennedy Simmonds as the first person to be elected in a political election in the island of St. Kitts who was not a member of the Labour Party, which had been continuously in power from 1952.
It is felt that this Victory of Kennedy Simmonds precipitated the fall from power of the Labour Party.
Rather than acknowledge his election victory and swear him in as first Kittitian Member of the Opposition, the Labour Party decided to dissolve the House of Assembly and called General Elections ten months early.
In so doing, they effectively and legally nullified the Court’s decision in favour, but they equally effectively put their own seats in jeopardy.
Kennedy Simmonds won his seat again, more convincingly than in the by-election, and this time two of his P.A.M. colleagues won their seats as well.
With three elected seats, P.A.M. prevented the Labour Party, with four seats, from regaining power.
A Coalition Government was formed between P.A.M. and the Nevis Reformation Party (N.R.P), with one seat majority over the Labour Party, which has had to struggle to adjust to the unaccustomed role of Opposition.
He is married {his second marriage} to Mary Simmonds, formerly Matthew. The wedding day was 5th June 1976. Mrs. Simmonds was a nurse at the Joseph N. France General Hospital in St. Kitts where Dr. Simmonds was Consultant Anesthesiologist.
He has five children – Alphonse, Kenrick and Keris by his present wife. Michael (an adopted son) and Pauline, his eldest child.
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Culture 
