The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER NBA star Rick Fox announced yesterday that he will run in the newly created St James constituency, raising the stakes in the contest as he weighs whether to run with a political party or as an independent.

The seat is one of two constituencies recommended by the Constituency Boundaries Commission in a report recently tabled in the House of Assembly. It spans communities currently in Golden Isles, Killarney and Southern Shores and would have 5,149 registered voters.

In a message posted on Facebook on Majority Rule, Mr Fox, who’s also an Ambassador-At-Large, cited his close ties to the area, calling St James a place where his family lives, where he lives, and where he works. He gave no indication that he plans to resign as ambassador, despite pledging to run against the governing party that appointed him.

He said he didn’t choose St James because it was easy, but because it sits at the crossroads of capital, infrastructure, and national decision-making.

He noted that a section of the area is also home to Clifton Pier Power Station, calling it one of the country’s most critical and unresolved energy challenges.

He added that high electricity costs are not just a household issue, but a national competitiveness crisis.

“What happens in St James sends signals everywhere. When governance works here, opportunity expands across The Bahamas. When systems fail, the cost is felt in every community,” he said. “This moment is bigger than any one party. Country over Party.”

Progressive Liberal Party political aspirant Owen Wells and Free National Movement deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright are also both said to be eyeing the constituency.

Mr Fox said he has considered every serious path forward, not to bargain, but to determine where meaningful reform is possible while staying true to his principles.

These principles, he added, include transparency, lowering the cost of living, creating more opportunities, ensuring energy security, and an immigration policy rooted in sovereignty.

“If that path is independent, I am prepared to run alone,” he said.

He added: “Bahamian women led courageously in the fight for Majority Rule. Fifty-nine years later, they are still not recognised as fully equal in our Constitution. That unfinished business dishonors our history and weakens our future.”

“To the young men and women of The Bahamas ready to shape what comes next: involvement is not optional. Speaking up, contributing ideas, and working toward shared outcomes is a responsibility we all carry across generations, across differences, and beyond personal ambition.”

The latest remarks revive long-running questions about Mr Fox’s role as a government-appointed diplomat while openly criticising the political system and preparing for electoral politics.

Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell has repeatedly called on diplomats who cannot support the government’s mandate to step aside.

However, Mr Fox previously told The Tribune that he had no plans to resign and urged Mr Mitchell to focus on voter disengagement rather than ambassadorial conduct.