The Mount Moriah showdown
Mt. Moriah is shaping up to be one of the more closely watched races in the upcoming general election because of who is running and what the constituency’s history suggests.
The seat is currently held by McKell Bonaby of the Progressive Liberal Party, who defeated Free National Movement candidate Marvin Dames in 2021. Bonaby secured 1,797 votes to Dames’ 1,440. That same year, a Coalition of Independents candidate earned 255 votes, while the Democratic National Alliance received 115.
Those smaller vote totals may now matter more than they once did.
From 1992 to 2007, Mt. Moriah was firmly in the FNM column under Tommy Turnquest. In 2012, voters shifted to the PLP with Arnold Forbes. Dames captured the seat for the FNM in 2017, only to lose it four years later.
The pattern suggests one thing: Mt. Moriah is not loyal to any one party.
Now the FNM is betting on who is familiar with constituents, renominating Dames amid reported calls within sections of the community for his return.
Meanwhile, Coalition of Independents candidate Linda Stubbs has entered the race, though her level of ground support remains unclear.
Geographically spanning Yellow Elder Gardens to the east, Millennium Gardens in the centre, and Stapledon Gardens to the west, Mt. Moriah represents a diverse voter base.
