St James (Bahamas Parliament constituency)
| St James | |
|---|---|
| Constituency | |
| District | New Providence |
| Electorate | 5,149 (2025)[1] |
| Major settlements | Adelaide Beach, Coral Harbour, Albany |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2026 |
| Seats | 1 |
| Member | Vacant |
St James is a future parliamentary constituency that will be represented in the House of Assembly of the Bahamas. It will elect one member of parliament (MP) using the first-past-the-post voting system for the first time at the 2026 Bahamian general election.[2]
The constituency was created in 2026 after the Constituency Boundaries Commission recommended two new seats as part of a redistribution intended to address population shifts and voter parity.[1][3]
History
In October 2025, Bahamian media reported that the Boundaries Commission was considering creating new constituencies by dividing the existing Killarney seat, citing the size of its electorate.[4]
In its report dated 29 December 2025, the Constituencies Commission said that the two new seats would be "St James" on New Providence and "Bimini & Berry Islands", and that no public consultations or meetings were held during the commission's work.[3] The report was tabled in the House of Assembly on 8 January 2026, confirming the creation of the St James constituency in western New Providence and increasing the number of constituencies from 39 to 41.[1]
The report's annexes specified that St James would be formed by transferring polling divisions from the Golden Isles, Killarney, Tall Pines and Southern Shores constituencies, including:
- Golden Isles: polling divisions 1, 2, 5, 10 and 14
- Killarney: polling division 3, polling division 11, and parts of polling division 4
- Tall Pines: polling divisions 4, 7 and 12
- Southern Shores: polling division 4[3]
Residents interviewed by Bahamian media gave mixed views on whether the boundary change was necessary or politically motivated, and highlighted long-standing infrastructure concerns in parts of the new constituency.[5][6]
The new boundaries were formalised in the House of Assembly Revision of Boundaries and Re-distribution of Seats Order, 2026 (S.I. No. 5 of 2026), which came into force on 16 January 2026 and applies from the next general election.[2]
Geography
The constituency covers parts of western and southwestern New Providence. Bahamian media reports described it as drawing polling divisions from areas including Adelaide Beach, Coral Harbour, parts of South Ocean, and sections formerly in Golden Isles, Killarney and Southern Shores.[1][5][6]
The constituency's legal boundaries are defined in the 2026 boundaries order.[2]
Demographics
The commission's summary tables listed 5,045 registered voters for the St James area in 2021 and 5,149 in 2025, across eleven polling divisions.[3]
Elections
The constituency will be contested for the first time at the 2026 general election.[1]
In January 2026, the Progressive Liberal Party ratified attorney Owen Wells as its candidate for St James.[7] In February 2026, the Free National Movement said it would ratify Shanendon Cartwright for the constituency and listed him as its candidate.[8][9]
References
- ^ a b c d e "St James and Bimini seats created in boundaries report". The Tribune. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ a b c "House of Assembly Revision of Boundaries and Re-distribution of Seats Order, 2026 (S.I. No. 5 of 2026)" (PDF). Laws of The Bahamas. Office of the Governor-General. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Report of Constituencies Commission, House of Assembly, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas" (PDF). 29 December 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
- ^ "Two new constituencies proposed - with splits in Killarney and West GB and Bimini". The Tribune. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
- ^ a b "St James residents split on whether new boundary cut was necessary or political". The Tribune. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
- ^ a b ""In This New St. James, We Need More Energy and Resources"". Our News. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
- ^ "PLP Ratifies 15 Candidates For 2026 General Election". Our News. 23 January 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
- ^ "FNM to ratify eight candidates as election race heats up". The Tribune. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
- ^ "Candidates". Free National Movement. Retrieved 24 February 2026.