southernshores

Leroy Major, elected to Southern Shores in 2021, says he built his connection on the ground, is with the people, not the party, and is running this election independently.

After being denied the nomination by the Progressive Liberal Party, Major said he recalibrated and has been “working, planning, meeting my people” and insisting that if the election were held today, he would win.

That confidence by Major is testing whether personal loyalty to constituents can outweigh the party’s structure.

On the other side is Obie Roberts, a longtime party figure stepping into the spotlight for the first time as a candidate.

Roberts is the PLP’s choice, the official standard-bearer, and a reflection of the party’s internal decision-making.

And that’s where the real tension lies for the PLP. Major and Roberts are at odds with each other following Robert’s ratification.

The Southern Shores race could be a referendum on the party itself.

The PLP has pushed a strong message of unity under Philip Davis, but the constituency race tells another story. Two men from the same political party are now on opposite sides.

Voters are left to ask if unity is just a political message.

Major is strategic when she says he is “the people’s voice rather than the party’s voice,” tapping into a familiar voter frustration that elected officials sometimes serve the party interests before constituents.

Some voters, though, may question the influence he can deliver without the PLP backing.

Meanwhile, Roberts must do the opposite, convince voters that party loyalty does not mean disconnecting from the constituents.

Southern Shores Member of Parliament Leroy Major has already revealed that he is at odds with his party, the Progressive Liberal Party, following a string of public statements.

He already said that he asked to run again for Southern Shores and was denied. The party ratified Obie Roberts instead. He publicly stated he would support Clint Watson, but not Roberts, and warned that the party would “have to face” him if the party did not oblige.

And just recently he fired back at Roberts in a video clip, accusing him of cleaning up a problem that he says was created after party headquarters interfered with contracts tied to his constituency.

He claimed the park maintenance was always under contract but alleged that someone from PLP headquarters removed his control over the contracts and reassigned them “just to sabotage me.”

He also insisted that ongoing roadwork in the area was Phase Two of a project he initiated — “nothing to do with you and nothing to do with the (PLP) banner.”

Leroy Major has two real options:

1. Run as an Independent.

This would split the PLP vote in Southern Shores and create a serious vulnerability for the party in a seat it would prefer to hold onto. Major has name recognition in the area and it is still not clear how strong his base is. Even if he does not win, he could weaken the PLP enough to make the race competitive.

2. Resign now.

This option is more explosive. If Major resigns before the general election, it could trigger a by-election. That forces Prime Minister Philip Davis into a strategic dilemma: call a by-election and risk a public intra-party fight, or dissolve Parliament earlier than expected and call a general election quickly.

The unity problem

The PLP has repeatedly framed itself as the party of unity, especially in contrast to the Free National Movement’s internal conflicts, but Southern Shores shows a different story.

Back in June 2025, Major told the Tribune that backbenchers were being sidelined in the Davis administration, claiming Cabinet ministers were leveraging public resources for political advantage while ordinary MPs were marginalized. He said other backbenchers shared similar concerns.

He later backtracked.

If Major runs independently, the narrative becomes, PLP infighting.

If he resigns, the public sees the PLP as unstable.

If he stays and quietly supports the party, he preserves unity, but at the cost of political leverage.

What’s really at stake

It is about whether Davis and Party Chairman Fred Mitchell can maintain the image of unity the party has leaned on heading into the next election.

In Southern Shores, the picture right now is striking–two members of the Progressive Liberal Party are talking about the same community work, but telling different stories.

Newly ratified Progressive Liberal Party candidate Obie Roberts recently posted a video showing that he cleared down an overgrown park in the Marshall Road, Misty Gardens area. Residents had reportedly complained about safety concerns while walking in the mornings and evenings.

Roberts said, with the assistance of the Bahamas Department of Corrections, the area was cleaned to make the environment safer.

It was a straightforward visual showing space cleared and the problem addressed.

But the sitting Member of Parliament Leroy Major, responded with a video of his own, and a sharp rebuttal to Roberts.

Major argued that the park had always been on contract and claimed someone from PLP headquarters took control of his constituency contracts and reassigned them. “Thank you for cleaning up the mess you created,” he said, suggesting the situation was political sabotage rather than service.

He also insisted that ongoing roadwork in the area was part of a second phase he initiated, not a new effort under the PLP.

Watch the video here.

What might have been election constituency maintenance has now become a public optics battle.

And it comes at a sensitive time which is election season.

Major was recently denied renomination by the PLP, despite requesting to run again. The party ratified Roberts instead. Major has since voiced frustration and even floated the possibility of running as an independent.

For a party emphasizing unity heading into a general election, the visual of two PLPs disputing credit in the same constituency is significant.

Voters in Southern Shores may care less about internal dynamics and more about whether their park is safe and their roads are paved. But perception matters in politics. When the party’s disagreements play out publicly, it raises questions about unity.

In election season, even bush clearing can become a battleground.

After weeks of tension and speculation, the Progressive Liberal Party made its final call in Southern Shores, choosing Obie Roberts as its candidate and passing over Clint Watson, whose supporters had been vocal and deeply invested in his bid.

The decision does not settle whether the party is unified enough to win the constituency.

Obie Roberts spoke to reporters after his ratification, “You’re gonna have some persons right now who have some emotions after the decision is made. You can’t please everybody. But PLPs are PLPs’ ya know. They remain home. They remain faithful to the party, granted they’re disappointed or not.”

Southern Shores has been one of the most contentious constituencies in this election cycle. Emotions ran so high that supporters of both camps nearly came to blows outside a constituency meeting. Now that the decision has been made, the PLP’s immediate challenge is: Can Watson’s supporters pivot quickly and fully behind Roberts, or will the resentment linger?

That question matters because Southern Shores is shaping up to be a three-way race.

The Free National Movement ratified Donnalee Penn early. She has had the advantage of working the area, building name recognition, and campaigning while the PLP was still internally divided.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Independents has put forward Kirk Farrington, who could siphon votes from either major party.

A fractured PLP vote could be decisive. Independent candidates rarely need to win outright to influence the result, but their biggest impact is taking votes from the other candidates. It is not known how popular Farrington is in the area.

Southern Shores voted FNM in 2017, then swung PLP in 2021, which means the seat is competitive, and voters are willing to change their minds. No party can take it for granted.

For the PLP, choosing Roberts closes one chapter but opens another. The coming weeks will reveal whether party leaders can cool tensions, rally supporters, and present a united front, or whether internal tensions will shape the result on election day.

As the Progressive Liberal Party moves closer to ratifying its final slate of candidates, attention has turned to Southern Shores because of a sudden change at ZNS that many see as politically significant.

Southern Shores aspirant Clint Watson, General Manager of ZNS, has stepped away from his television programme The Rundown. Broadcaster Howard Grant will take over as host beginning February 2. In announcing the change, ZNS described Grant as “well capable and amazing,” signaling that the show will continue as Watson transitions off air.

Neither Watson nor the PLP has confirmed his ratification. Still, the timing of his exit from the show has sparked curiosity, especially with the party set to ratify its final candidates this Sunday, as reported by the Guardian.

What stands out is Watson stepping aside before ratification, which could suggest preparation to run in Southern Shores.

Remaining a prominent broadcaster at a public media house while moving toward active politics has already raised questions about fairness.

Southern Shores has become one of the PLP’s most tense constituencies after reports of conflict between supporters including near physical confrontations outside meetings.

That tension increased when sitting MP Leroy Major warned party leaders that they would have to face him if Watson was not nominated.

Stepping away from a television show may not guarantee ratification. Time will tell.

For the PLP, Southern Shores is one to watch.

Member of Parliament for Southern Shores Leroy Major has said very little, but what he has said is loud. After confirming that he wrote to the Progressive Liberal Party seeking renomination and was declined, Major made it clear that he is not stepping quietly back. Asked whether he would run as an independent, his response was: “Watch the road.”

His statement does not suggest healthy political “competition,” as Mitchell stated of the tension in the party. It suggests unresolved conflict.

The PLP is weighing two aspirants for Southern Shores–ZNS General Manager Clint Watson and PLP Vice Chairman Obie Roberts, while the sitting MP, Major, remains public and seemingly defiant. Major said openly to reporters that he supports Watson, and warned that if the party goes another direction, “they have to face me.”

That is not the language of a settled internal process.

Party Chairman Fred Mitchell has sought to calm concerns, framing the situation in Southern Shore as ordinary competition within the party. However, Major’s recent statement further complicates this message. Supporters of both Watson and Roberts nearly came to blows outside a party meeting, a clear sign of conflict that clashes with Mitchell’s careful wording.

Major repeatedly declined to clarify his political future to reporters, avoided direct answers about his political decision, and emphasized his loyalty only to the people of Southern Shores. He has pointed to ongoing constituency work, including distributing food assistance, as proof that he has not turned his back on residents. It’s possible he could run independently.

With the PLP expected to ratify candidates, Southern Shores could be a measure of party loyalty and unity.

Whether Mitchell calls it competition or not, these signs point to a division.