Coleby-Davis says she will beat Duane Sands again

In a fiery rebuke of her former opponent, Minister of Energy and Transport JoBeth Coleby-Davis took aim at Dr. Duane Sands, the former Member of Parliament for Elizabeth, for allegedly "handling her name" in recent remarks.

“The last time he handled my name, I had to show him better than I could tell him,” said Coleby-Davis, who ousted Sands in the 2021 general election. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) saw a massive victory that year, securing 32 of the 39 seats in the House of Assembly, and Coleby-Davis was among the newcomers who claimed a seat.

“Who took the beating? And you’re still in the groups handling my name? See, I beat you when no one knew me. I beat you when I didn’t have much record to stand on,” she added, speaking to a group of supporters during a recent PLP branch meeting.

Coleby-Davis, who was Minister of Housing before taking on the role of Minister of Energy, defended her accomplishments since entering office, particularly her work on the housing front and her ministry’s efforts to reduce electricity bills for consumers.

She highlighted recent success with Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) in driving down energy costs, a critical issue for many Bahamians.

"Elizabeth is staying with the PLP," Coleby-Davis declared, signaling her confidence in retaining the constituency in the upcoming 2026 general election.

The comments come as both the PLP and the Free National Movement (FNM) begin gearing up for the next election, with campaigning set to intensify in the lead-up to 2026.