We decided to share this article with readers of BAHAMAS CHRONICLE, which has a huge following among the Bahamian diaspora across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as well as in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean. The Nassau Guardian published this article by Travis Cartwright-Carroll on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Managing Editor
travis@nasguard.com
Following a crushing defeat at the polls last night, Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Michael Pintard conceded defeat to Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader and Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, but deferred when asked if he would step down as party leader.
“I believe in conventions,” Pintard said during a somber press conference at the FNM’s headquarters in Grand Bahama.
“I’ve honored it over the time that I’ve served as leader of the party. Four and a half years we’ve held three conventions, two that involved the leadership.
“So I’m absolutely committed to that convention. But more importantly, I’m committed to having a discussion with the team, and over the course of the next few days, we will make a decision, and we’ll let you know.”
The unofficial results, up to midnight, showed that the FNM won eight seats – Long Island, Freetown, St. Anne’s, Marco City, East Grand Bahama, Central Grand Bahama, MICAL, and Killarney.
The PLP roared back to office, winning a historic second term in office. It was the first time in 29 years that a party was re-elected for a consecutive term.
Pintard said last night that the FNM will continue with the work of trying to make the country better.
“Today, the Bahamian people made their choice,” he said.
“In a democracy, that is the only voice that ultimately matters. The people of The Bahamas have spoken, and we accept their decision.
“That is how a democracy works. We make our case, we ask for your trust, we count the ballots, and we honour what the count says. That has been the Bahamian way, and tonight we honour it again.
“To every Bahamian who voted today: thank you.
“Thank you for showing up. Thank you for taking your democracy seriously. Whether you voted FNM, PLP, or for any other party, you are the reason this country still belongs to its people.
“To the tens of thousands of Bahamians across these islands who voted Free National Movement, I am grateful to you beyond what words can say.”
Pintard also thanked the FNM’s deputy leader, Shanendon Cartwright, who lost in the St. James constituency.
“To the young person who voted FNM for the very first time today and is wondering tonight whether your vote mattered, hear me,” he said.
“It mattered. You stood in line and cast a ballot for The Bahamas you believe in. That is not nothing; that is everything. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
“To the Bahamian who has been an FNM since the days of Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, who has voted in every election since 1972, who has watched victories and watched losses, and who is sitting tonight wondering if the long road was worth it, I say to you, it was. And it is.
“The Bahamas is freer, more accountable, more honest because of every voter you spoke to. Hold your head up tonight. You did not lose. The work simply continues.
“To the candidate who went to bed believing she would wake up an MP and woke up to a different result, I see you. I know the weight of what you are carrying. The country needed your name on a ballot. The country still needs you. Do not put down what you were called to.
“My fellow Bahamians, our calling did not begin tonight, and it does not end tonight.”
Pintard said the FNM will continue in its role as the opposition.
“We will oppose when we must,” he said.
“We will agree when the government’s plans serve the Bahamian people. We will never, ever forget who sent us to that House: not the donors, not the friends of the party, not the powerful — but the people of this family of islands, who deserve a government that works for them. Whether that government is ours or someone else’s.
“Tonight, the result was not what we hoped for. But the country we love did not disappear when the polls closed. The Bahamas we love is still there. It is still ours. It is still home.”
This is the fourth consecutive loss for the FNM since 2021. The party lost the general election that year and two by-elections during the PLP’s term – West Grand Bahama and Bimini and Golden Isles.
The party also grappled with infighting and division over the last four years.
Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis made it clear after taking the party to defeat in 2021 that he still wished to remain leader. This caused a noticeable rift between those loyal to Minnis and those who were not.
Minnis eventually split from the party after he was denied a nomination for his Killarney seat.
He unsuccessfully ran as an independent last night, losing to the FNM’s Michela Barnett-Ellis.