North Andros alone this time — And the stakes are higher

North Andros is emerging as another constituency to watch closely heading into the next general election because its boundary has changed.

This election, North Andros will stand on its own. Previously merged with the Berry Islands, the constituency has been separated, largely due to the size and distribution of its electorate. The voting patterns that once showed a combined constituency will now be tested in isolation.

The last time voters went to the polls in 2021, Leonardo Lightbourne of the Progressive Liberal Party secured victory in the then North Andros and Berry Islands seat. A newcomer at the time, Lightbourne defeated Carlton Bowleg of the Free National Movement with 56 percent of the 2,126 votes cast.

In 2017, Bowleg had won the same seat with 51 percent of the vote. By 2021, his support had dropped.

Now, the political landscape looks different again.

Lightbourne returns as the incumbent, but this time in a reshaped North Andros. The Free National Movement has introduced Janice Oliver as its standard bearer, while Coalition of Independents candidate Indera Laing enters the race, offering a third option to voters.

Meanwhile, Bowleg has shifted his focus, now contesting the Bimini and Berry Islands seat.