Elizabeth is a loyal PLP Seat — but never a safe one
As the country awaits the announcement of a general election, the constituency of Elizabeth is again under close watch.
Incumbent JoBeth Coleby-Davis is seeking to maintain the PLP’s hold on the seat. The FNM has nominated Heather Hunt to reclaim ground in the constituency. Donna Dorsette-Major is running under the Coalition of Independents banner, adding another variable to the equation.
Long considered a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) stronghold, Elizabeth has delivered consistent support to the party over the years, but not without moments of dramatic shifts.
The seat has a history of razor-thin contests. The 2010 by-election remains one of the closest in modern politics, decided by just two votes. PLP’s Ryan Pinder edged out the Free National Movement’s (FNM) Dr. Duane Sands in that historic contest. Pinder went on to defeat Sands again in the 2012 general election.
But Elizabeth is not immune to political waves.
In 2017, amid a national swing toward the FNM, Dr Sands captured the seat decisively, securing 61 percent of the vote. That victory highlighted a key reality that Elizabeth may lean PLP, but it is not untouchable.
In 2021, the seat returned to the PLP. JoBeth Coleby-Davis won with 1,893 votes, defeating Sands, who secured 1,516. Third parties and independent candidates collectively drew several hundred votes — the Coalition of Independents (204), the Democratic National Alliance (66), an independent candidate (165), and smaller parties accounting for 26 votes.
Those numbers are significant.
With 3,870 registered voters, shifts of a few hundred ballots can change the outcome, particularly if third-party support grows in the area.
Elizabeth stretches from Barrine Close in the west to Fox Hill Road in the east, a diverse constituency where turnout and the national mood could determine the results.
