By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis appealed to Golden Isles voters last night to return the seat to his party with a vote for Darron Pickstock, warning that a choice for the Free National Movement would halt progress and stall change.

Speaking at the Progressive Liberal Party’s rally last night, Mr Davis hit familiar themes during his speech, portraying Mr Pickstock as a hard worker who can deliver what Golden Isles needs, while casting the PLP as a party of progress and transformative change.

Still, he acknowledged that the party is far from perfect, telling supporters he knew that progress has not reached everyone and that much more remains to be done.

“I know the challenges are still real. I know the pace of change can feel slow. I know that people deserve more. A s a government, as a party and as a nation, we must do more. We must take the progress we started and carry it deeper into every home and in every neighborhood, and with the strength of the Bahamian people, I believe we’ll get there together.”

Mr Davis admitted that recent work in Golden Isles was long overdue and only received attention because of the by-election, but added that, nonetheless, it was “attention you’re getting.”

“All of this can be lost. All of this can be lost because there are people who will stop everything in motion simply because their name is not on it,” he said, referring to the opposition.

He said a vote for Mr Pickstock would mean a vote for progress, strength, and unity, rather than chaos and division.

Mr Pickstock, meanwhile, appealed to voters to support him not because of his backers, but because of his record and results.

“The FNM’s candidate has told you that his plan is that he lives here,” he said. “That is all. That is what he is offering you. His residency and his address. Is that the standard?”

Mr Pickstock continued: “That is not a plan, Golden Isles. That is not what representation is about. That is not what leadership is about.”

He reiterated his ten-point plan for Golden Isles, centred on road repairs and community upgrades, adding that the real work will begin after he wins.

He also promised consistent visibility and a strong presence, admitting that past MPs have too often left the community feeling unseen.

“You will see me working, Golden Isles and working hard for you, standing in your communities, helping you solve real problems in real time. I want you to hold me, Golden Isles, to that.”

The night also featured fiery political messages, with party MPs drawing sharp contrasts between Mr Pickstock and the FNM’s candidate, Brian Brown.

They criticised Mr Brown as a man with little to show, while describing Mr Pickstock as a man of action, often using puns on his name to emphasise their point, referring to him as “the pick of the stock.”

Sebas Bastian, the PLP’s candidate for Fort Charlotte, was pointed in his remarks, directing a specific message at Mr Brown, saying: “Your residency is not your resume.”

Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis, a former MP for the area, fully endorsed Mr Pickstock, urging supporters to rally behind him.

Party veterans also delivered sharp criticism for the FNM, painting the party as desperate, its leader as unserious, accusing him of fabricating stories while dubbing them “red and scared.”