shanendoncartwright

Shanendon Cartwright, deputy leader of the Free National Movement, is seeking to capture the newly created St James constituency, a seat formed by the Boundaries Commission and one that carries no established voting history.

Cartwright is not new to political success. He previously served two terms as MP for St Barnabas from 2017 to 2026, building a reputation among many constituents for strong visibility and active representation. His support base in that area became one of his strengths, with many voters openly praising his accessibility and constituency work.

Now St James presents a different challenge.

Unlike traditional constituencies with clear party patterns, St James is a newly configured seat made up of sections from Killarney and Golden Isles.

The constituency has no voting history and no tested party or candidate loyalty.

This election becomes a test of whether Cartwright’s appeal is transferable beyond the boundaries of St Barnabas.

As deputy leader of the FNM, the stakes are even higher. A victory would reinforce his standing within the party and strengthen perceptions that he remains one of the FNM’s key future figures.

Winning a brand-new constituency would also suggest that his support is tied not just to constituencies, but to his personal political brand.

A loss, however, would trigger harder questions.

Can a deputy leader afford to lose a new seat in a general election?

It remains to be seen whether Cartwright can prove he is politically strong enough to win beyond St Barnabas, which first made him successful.

As the Bahamas moves closer to the May 12 general election, voters’ attention is firmly fixed on party leaders—Philip Davis, Michael Pintard and Lincoln Bain. But there is another layer of leadership that receives far less scrutiny, the deputy leader.

Philip Davis is paired with Chester Cooper for the Progressive Liberal Party, Michael Pintard with Shanendon Cartwright for the Free National Movement, and Lincoln Bain with Veronica McIver for the Coalition of Independents.

Elections in the Bahamas have traditionally centred on the leaders.

Voters often make decisions based on the party, the performance of the prime minister or leader of the party, or the strength of their candidate running in their constituency.

In that equation, deputy leaders can feel distant. But that does not mean the role is insignificant. Deputies often play important functions behind the scenes, like managing party operations, shaping policy direction, and reinforcing the leader’s message.

In government, they may carry major ministerial portfolios or serve as second-in-command in decision-making.

The average voter is more likely to judge what they can see and feel like the cost of living, infrastructure, constituency performance, than the dynamics of a leadership team. Unless a deputy leader is particularly prominent, controversial, or directly connected to a voter’s daily life, their influence may seem limited.

However, a strong deputy can help balance the party by energizing the base, and appealing to a specific demographic of voters.

Deputy leaders rarely decide elections on their own. Instead, they operate in the background and contribute to the party structure.

Following a brazen early morning shooting that left a man dead in front of his wife and children, the Free National Movement Deputy Leader Shanendon Cartwright blasted the government for its “soft” approach to crime as the nation grapples with 86 murders for the year.

“The government is soft on crime with no plan and our nation and our people are suffering because of it,” he said.

Why it matters

Concerns are growing as the murder rate increases.

Eighty-six murders have occurred for the year, with seemingly daily occurrences of gun violence.

State of play

The year opened with a spiraling number of murders. Within seven days of 2024, eight murders had already occurred. The US State Department issued a level 2 advisory for its travelers to the Bahamas, concerned that its citizens could become victims of violence in the country.

Police say most murders are a result of gang violence and retaliation.

What Shanendon Cartwright says

Shanendon Cartwright believes that the government should lead and collaborate with stakeholders to assist in fixing the vexing crime problem.

He added that the FNM had presented numerous recommendations to the government “that included both immediate and long-term strategies” to stem the tide of crime and gun violence.

“The government has been slow to bring real legislative tools or impactful policies to stem the tide of violence that has raged unabated over the course of this administration.

“The Bahamian people are left dismayed and disheartened that the government remained incapable of articulating a comprehensive, immediate and long-term anti-crime plan.

“They have failed at their most sacred duty of protecting the Bahamian people,” he said.

Leader of the Free National Movement Michael Pintard suggested that the government is seeking to underhandedly victimize FNM contract workers by releasing a damning report against the former chairman of the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority Shanendon Cartwright.

In a weekly press conference on Sunday afternoon, Pintard called on the government to be upfront with its intention about the report, which suggested malfeasance by Cartwright when he served in the position and issued contracts.

“We are asking the government to be honest with its intention because it does appear that much of the narrative that’s being put out relative to this authority, is to set the stage for the cancellation of contracts held by who they believe to be Free National Movement supporters,” he said.

“While I am not prophetic, I would suggest that if we were to look at the list today and look at the list one or two months from now, those persons who are calling them who belong to the PLP family are likely to have those contracts renewed, which would suggest that much of the narrative being shared in the public to muddy the water is about creating a pretext to eliminate one group of Bahamians from holding contracts to replace with another group of Bahamians holding contracts,” Pintard said.

Why it matters

At the crux of the matter, hundreds of contract workers who were employed under the previous administration are awaiting payment for work done on parks and beaches. It is reported that they have not been paid since July.

Big story

On Friday, the authority now under the leadership of a new director, McKell  Bonaby released a report claiming various perceived irregularities with the issuance of contracts stating that the former chairman’s signature was signed by three different people, contracts were missing, and identification of contract holders were not on file.

Since being sworn into government, the PLP has canceled the contracts under the previous administration, citing the irregularities and even stating that the budget for the authority had ballooned its budget.

What Shanendon Cartwright says

Cartwright is fighting back stating “procedures were followed” when he was chairman and he will respond when the government’s assessment is completed.

Pintard added that the Opposition will respond “line-by-line” when the full report is released in January.

As the one-day convention for the Free National Movement draws near, St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright endorsed Marco City MP Michael Pintard for leadership of the party.

Cartwright is one of the 7 FNM MPs who retained their seats in Parliament following the general election.

Many pondered whether Cartwright, a well-liked parliamentarian would have contended for the leadership post, but he never gave a distinct answer, only to say that he could vie for any of the leadership posts which also include the deputy leadership or chairmanship position.

Now that the convention is on Saturday, Cartwright has endorsed Pintard. Cartwright was seen sitting next to Pintard at Bahamas Harvest Church where Pintard’s campaign team held a church service on Wednesday. This signaled his support for the parliamentarian.

Cartwright said Pintard is best suited to bring “generational change and transformational leadership” to the party.

“…in this moment, with his capacity to unify the Free National Movement, it is my humble belief that Michael C. Pintard fulfills that promise,” he said.

The FNM suffered a crushing defeat at the polls on September 16, in an early election called by former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, winning only 7 of the 39 seats.

Since the loss, blame has been assigned to Minnis, causing factions within the party.

Pintard, who goes up against East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson and Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis, promises to unify the factions in the party.

The party will hold another election in February to elect members for other positions. It remains to be seen if Cartwright will contend for any of those positions.