Thrown into the fire: Can PLP new candidates break FNM strongholds?
As the election nears, the Progressive Liberal Party is taking a risk by placing its new candidates in the most difficult constituencies that have historically voted for the Free National Movement.
Candidates such as Keno Wong (St Anne’s), Reneika Knowles (Long Island), Parkco Deal (Central Grand Bahama), Robyn Lynes (Killarney), Eddie Whann (Marco City), and Monique Pratt (East Grand Bahama) are entering frontline politics in seats where the odds are not traditionally in their favor.
These constituencies have long been held by the FNM. St Anne’s is currently held by Adrian White, while Long Island, represented by Adrian Gibson since 2017, will now see Andre Rollins carry the FNM banner.
In Central Grand Bahama, Frazette Gibson steps in following Iram Lewis’s shift to a third-party run. Killarney, once held by former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, remains a stronghold but with slight boundary changes, now represented by Michaela Ellis, while Marco City is represented by FNM leader Michael Pintard. East Grand Bahama continues under Kwasi Thompson.
Even in 2021, when the FNM lost, these seats held firm, highlighting the constituencies’ loyalty to the FNM that often defines Bahamian voting patterns.
So why place new, relatively untested candidates in such high-stakes races?
Observers say these races give the PLP an opportunity to test their candidates and chip away at entrenched margins. If results show even modest gains, it can signal shifting voting sentiments for future elections.
It remains to be seen whether they can narrow the gap or even produce an upset.
