By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE mood at the Free National Movement’s Golden Isles constituency office was flat and subdued last night as supporters lost hope that the party’s candidate, Brian Brown, could pull off a by-election win.

When Darron Pickstock was officially declared the winner, sighs, murmurs, and confused expressions spread across the faces of FNM supporters – a sharp contrast to the lively celebrations at the PLP office just a block away.

One FNM supporter, patting others on the back, said: “We fought a good fight. No need to be depressed.”

Mr Brown was greeted with cheers despite the loss. 

He smiled as he addressed supporters, though his eyes appeared emotional. Mr Brown, who also ran unsuccessfully in the 2021 general election, said he was not discouraged by last night’s result.

“We will be here again tomorrow, the office will be open,"he said. "I'm ready to go. I'm not dismayed by what today is. Today is about to finish, and so tomorrow is about to start

“On Thursday, I will be feeding 500 minimum people from Golden Isles for Thanksgiving.”

Mr Brown said he would begin visiting residents today to thank them for their support.

FNM Leader Michael Pintard noted that Mr Brown has committed to keeping his office open and continuing his community programmes. He described the by-election as a close race in which the party fell a “bit short”, praising Mr Brown’s heart, courage, and integrity.

Mr Pintard also addressed the low voter turnout, saying the party must work harder to inspire residents to vote. He added that FNMs had nothing to be ashamed of and that everything would be alright.

He said the party would resume its work today, meeting residents to determine how best to serve them heading into the general election.

Asked about critics who said the loss reflected poorly on his leadership, Mr Pintard said he would evaluate that as well.

He added that while he was unsure how the PLP viewed the results, the FNM would be prepared if an early election were called.

After his remarks, several supporters vowed to stand with Mr Brown in the general election, saying the close race strengthened their belief that the seat is winnable.

Mr Pickstock won 1,873 votes, or 48.36 percent. Mr Brown received 1,636 votes, or 42.24 percent. The Coalition of Independents’ candidate, Brian Rolle, received 348 votes, while independent candidate Karen Butler received 16.

Earlier in the evening, a small crowd gathered at the FNM office anxiously awaiting results. Some supporters watched vote counts on their phones, while others walked around uncertain about the outcome.

At one point, when Mr Pickstock appeared ahead, a group of women formed a prayer circle, asking for the race to turn in their party’s favour.

One woman said the PLP’s failure to secure a landslide showed the FNM still had a strong chance.

“Mr Brown is still close. So we are optimistic and we honestly believe that we’re going to get over the finish line,” she said.

Other supporters argued that Mr Pickstock benefitted from the “public’s purse”, accusing the government of using resources to influence the vote.

As projections showed Mr Pickstock in the lead, several PLP supporters drove past the FNM office honking horns and shouting “PLP or nothing” and “We win this.”

Still, many FNMs held out hope until the very end that Mr Brown would prevail.

East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, speaking to The Tribune as results were being tallied, said the party remained optimistic.

Asked if the FNM had any regrets about contesting the seat, Mr Thompson said: “Absolutely none.”

“The numbers speak for themselves because the numbers are extremely close.”