Retired NBA champion Rick Fox announced yesterday he will run in the general election for the newly created constituency of St. James in western New Providence.
Last year, the ambassador-at-large said he met with both the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) about a potential candidacy, but claimed FNM Leader Michael Pintard was the most aggressive in his pursuit.
Yesterday, Fox said he will decide soon whether he will align with a political party, but stressed he is prepared to run as an independent candidate in the 2026 general election.
_The Nassau Guardian_ reported last week that St. Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, who is deputy leader of the FNM, is expected to be ratified by his party for St. James.
Attorney Owen Wells is said to be eyeing a PLP nomination for the new constituency.
Fox made his announcement in a Facebook post. He told his followers he woke up on Majority Rule Day with the intent to reflect over breakfast about the meaning of the holiday.
However, Fox said he never ordered his meal, because food became “irrelevant” as he thought about the country’s future.
He added that missing a meal is a daily reality for many Bahamians grappling with rising prices, shrinking opportunities and systems he said are not working for them.
“Majority rule meant more than changing faces in Parliament; it meant changing the entire structure of power, access and possibility so that no Bahamian would be locked out of their own future,” Fox said.
“That reflection this morning clarified something I’ve been preparing for. I will be running in St. James in the next general election.”
According to Fox, St. James is personal to him because that’s where his family lives, and it’s where he works.
“I didn’t choose St. James because it is easy,” Fox added. “I chose it because it sits at the crossroads of capital, infrastructure, and national decision-making and because when policy works here, it works better for the entire country.
“This section of the island is also home to Clifton Pier Power Station, one of the most critical and unresolved energy challenges we face. High electricity costs are not just a household issue, they are a national competitiveness crisis.
“Energy security is economic security, and this is a now problem affecting every Bahamian.
“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, adding that this moment is bigger than any political party.
Regarding his political affiliation, Fox said he has listened to “every serious path forward, not to bargain,” but to determine where real change is possible.
“In the coming days, I will decide which path allows me to serve most effectively while staying true to my principles,” Fox said. “If that path is independent, I am prepared to run alone.”
Fox said his principles include: transparency and accountability; lowering the cost of living through competent governance; safety built on strong institutions; opportunity so young Bahamians can build careers at home; energy security and innovation; and an immigration policy rooted in sovereignty, humanity, and planning.
Over the past few months, the businessman and former actor has been increasingly vocal about national issues.
Fox has previously raised concerns about immigration, namely the potential impact of hundreds of thousands of Haitians leaving the United States soon, as their Temporary Protected Status is scheduled to be terminated in February.
Fox has also spoken about what he sees as the hasty passage of the Smuggling of Migrants Act, a piece of legislation which raised controversy in part due to a now-deleted clause that would have granted smuggled migrants immunity from prosecution while targeting the smugglers and their organizations.
Last month, Fox launched The Bahamas Future Movement, a civic platform which he pledged will be “non-partisan and uncompromising”.
At the time, Fox said the mission of the platform is to force transparency “where silence has taken hold”.
In November 2025, Fox first announced he would run in the upcoming general election.
Fox was born in Canada to a Bahamian father and an Italian mother.
Since announcing his intent to enter Bahamian politics, some people have questioned Fox’s nationality and eligibility to be elected.
Last year, Fox told The Tribune he is a dual citizen of Canada and The Bahamas. He said he would renounce his Canadian citizenship as legally required if he entered frontline politics, adding that he has one passport — a Bahamian one.