Philip Davis wins second term in Bahamas election, first in 30 years

Philip Davis won a second consecutive term and became the first Bahamian leader in nearly 30 years to hold office through back-to-back elections, a result that turned Tuesday’s vote into a broad referendum on continuity in The Bahamas.

Davis and the Progressive Liberal Party won reelection after an early campaign that he moved up from the October schedule. An official in his office said the decision was meant to get ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season, a reminder that in a country spread across 700 islands and cays, seasonal storms can quickly test budgets, logistics and public services. The 2026 contest elected all 41 members of the House of Assembly, after a boundary review added two new constituencies. The PLP won both of those new seats, and with more than 209,000 Bahamians registered to vote, the result gave Davis a clear mandate for another term.

The campaign centered on the cost of living, housing costs, stagnant wages, jobs, crime and the broader question of whether the government had done enough to improve daily life. Davis’s administration tried to answer that pressure by removing value-added tax on food sold in grocery stores, a change that took effect on April 1 and covers more than 1,300 unprepared food items. A pre-election poll by Public Domain Research & Strategy found the PLP leading likely voters with 46 percent, while Davis led preferred-prime-minister support with 42 percent, suggesting a race that was competitive in tone even as the governing party entered the vote with the advantages of incumbency and a stronger organization.

The opposition Free National Movement suffered a sharp setback. Michael Pintard said the FNM was on track for only about eight seats, while the party’s chairman and deputy leader lost their races. Former NBA star Rick Fox, running for the FNM in Garden Hills, also lost, and former Prime Minister Hubert Minnis failed in an independent bid after the party declined to ratify him as its candidate. Early counting showed the PLP headed toward more than 30 seats, far ahead of the FNM.

Davis said the result was received with humility and gratitude. "The Bahamian people have spoken," he said. The scale of the victory gives the PLP room to push its economic and security agenda, while the opposition must now rebuild after a defeat that left the governing party able to argue it has public backing for its approach to prices, policing and disaster preparedness. Caribbean Community observer teams monitored the vote, underscoring the institutional weight of an election that will also shape tourism confidence, migration pressure and diplomatic ties across the region.