The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY


Tribune Staff Reporter


pbailey@tribunemedia.net

RICK Fox’s high-profile bid for Parliament collapsed in Garden Hills last night, while Wayne Munroe became the only Cabinet minister to lose his seat and businessman Sebastian “Sebas” Bastian, the other outsized personality in the race, won in Fort Charlotte.

The three results gave the 2026 general election some of its sharpest personal and political drama: a former NBA champion failed to turn celebrity into electoral power; a sitting minister was rejected at the polls; and one of the country’s most prominent businessmen survived intense scrutiny to win a seat in the House of Assembly.

Mr Fox, the Free National Movement’s candidate for Garden Hills, lost to Progressive Liberal Party candidate Mario Bowleg, ending a campaign that drew international attention.

Mr Munroe’s defeat stood out because he was the only Cabinet minister to lose his seat, making his race the clearest sign that voters were willing to punish at least some sitting government figures even as the PLP held broader strength.

Mr Bastian’s victory in Fort Charlotte marked the start of what could be a compelling political career for the former Island Luck chief executive, whose candidacy drew fierce criticism from former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and renewed debate about the political rise of numbers-house figures after the 2013 gambling referendum.

Mr Bastian, who ran for the PLP, has been a household name in The Bahamas for years. He was a leading proponent of legalising numbers houses in the 2013 gambling referendum, when voters rejected that position by 60.7 per cent.

Despite that result, the PLP government under former Prime Minister Perry Christie legalised and regulated numbers houses through the Gaming Act of 2014.

Since then, Mr Bastian’s business expanded nationwide. Island Luck now employs more than 1,000 Bahamians and marked its 17th anniversary on May 4.

Mr Ingraham sharply attacked Mr Bastian’s candidacy during recent rallies, warning voters that Fort Charlotte was a stepping stone on Mr Bastian’s potential path to becoming prime minister.

Mr Ingraham urged Fort Charlotte voters to support FNM candidate Travis Robinson, arguing that stopping Mr Bastian in the constituency would block his future rise within the PLP.

Mr Fox’s defeat was a blow to one of the FNM’s most recognisable candidates.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Mr Fox was raised in The Bahamas and attended Kingsway Academy before building an international profile as an NBA player.

He began his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 1991, joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1997 and retired in 2004 after winning three championships with the team.

After Mr Fox announced last November that he intended to run for office, speculation grew over whether he would contest the election as an independent or under one of the two major parties.

The FNM ratified Mr Fox in February. He campaigned on government transparency and a "modern economy" focused on affordability and security. He also entered the race with the largest financial disclosure of any candidate this campaign season, claiming total assets of $469,752,090.25, income of $4,816,689.16 and liabilities of $123,388.83.

By comparison, Mr Bastian reported $28,945,545 in total assets, $930,000 in income and liabilities of $175,000, placing him among the wealthiest candidates in the race. Mr Bastian also disclosed that a substantial portion of wealth linked to him is held in trusts valued at about $160 million, wealth he does not control, according to his financial declaration for the 2026 general election.

Mr Fox was endorsed by several international celebrities, including former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal.