These are the COI contenders in the next general election

The third-party Coalition of Independents, led by Lincoln Bain, is hoping to gain a majority of the seats in the House of Assembly at the call of the next election, which could come earlier than expected.

As many speculate that Prime Minister Philip Davis could call an election in 2025 instead of 2026, Bain and team have ratified 19 candidates on Sunday to represent constituencies in the Bahamas.

Though the Progressive Liberal Party and the Free National Movement traditionally dominate Bahamian politics, Bain thinks he can gain enough footing to become the next prime minister of the Bahamas, taking advantage of some voters’ indifference to the major political parties.

Third parties and smaller parties like the COI never win elections in the Bahamas, which will be a difficult feat for Bain.

Bain is the first to ratify candidates, boasting that “these candidates represent a new era of leadership in the Bahamas, as they are not career politicians, but instead, highly qualified professionals who have risen to the occasion out of their commitment to creating a better future for our country.”

Here’s a look at the candidates leading the COI:

1. Daniel Mitchell – Pineridge
2. Olivia Ingraham-Griffin – Free Town
3. Dexter Edwards – East Grand Bahama
4. Yvette Prince – Yamacraw
5. Graham Weatherford – St. Anne’s
6. Faith Percentie – Englerston
7. Trevor Greene – South Andros
8. Linda Stubbs – Mt. Moriah
9. William Knowles – Seabreeze
10. Maria Daxon – Bamboo Town
11. Charlotte Green – Carmichael
12. Tyrone M. Greene – Marathon
13. Daphaney Johnson – Fort Charlotte
14. Harold Roberts – Marco City
15. Donna Major – Elizabeth Estates
16. Antonio Bain – Bain & Grant’s Town
17. Sharmaine Adderley – Golden Gates
18. Veronica McIver – Killarney
19. Lincoln Bain – Pinewood

In the 2021 election, the group contested 32 of the 39 seats and did not win any seats, but captured 7852 votes in total, according to the Parliamentary Registration Department.