Marc Bean runs in home constituency for FDM
The founder of the Free Democratic Movement said he would be “returning home” to contest Southampton West (Constituency 32) in the General Election next month.
Marc Bean made the announcement — a shift from running in Sandys North (Constituency 36) — during a three-candidate roll-out from his party this morning.
Mr Bean, a former Opposition leader and Progressive Labour Party MP, was unveiled alongside Kyle Bridgewater, who will stand in Devonshire North West (Constituency 14), and Quinton Sherlock Jr, who will run in St George’s West (Constituency 2).
He said that after running in several other constituencies in the past he looked forward to “touching base with his neighbours”.
Mr Bean won the PLP primary vote for Southampton West in 2007 against Randy Horton but was asked to run in Southampton West Central (Constituency 31) by Ewart Brown, who was then the party leader.
Mr Horton ended up winning the seat against the United Bermuda Party’s Charlie Swan with almost two thirds of the vote, while Mr Bean lost to the UBP’s Jon Brunson with 406 votes to 548.
After he returned to politics with the creation of the FDM in 2020, Mr Bean ran in Sandys North (Constituency 36) against the PLP’s Kathy Lynn Simmons and Jeff Sousa for the One Bermuda Alliance during the General Election that same year.
Ms Simmons won the seat with 431 votes, while Mr Bean received 185 and Mr Sousa took 114.
After the victor resigned last year, Mr Bean came second in a four-way by-election battle with 108 votes compared with the 162 secured by the Reverend Emily Gail Dill.
Shalleya Codrington will now run for the FDM in Sandys North and will face Dr Dill, for the PLP, Carl Neblett, for the OBA, and independent candidate Ci’re Bean.
In Southampton West, Mr Bean will take on the PLP’s Scott Simmons, who won the seat in 2020, and Kellan Lewis, of the OBA.
The Free Democratic Movement released a six-part outline of its plan to tackle environmental and energy problems.
The party stood by its goal to transition to liquefied natural gas, which it said the Belco power plant was best suited to use.
It was written in the policy outline that LNG was Bermuda’s most cost-effective option for an energy source that was also clean and reliable.
The policy also proposed several waste management programmes, including the mandated separation of tin, aluminium and glass products and twice-weekly waste collection.
It included a plan to compost organic waste for use in agriculture.
The policy featured a goal to allow the Bermuda Farmers Association to regulate itself with help from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
It also listed plans to use untouched arable land, permanently protect agricultural reserve land, offer longer leases on government farmland, and to grow edible plants in public spaces.
The FDM’s ecological protection policy had several national habitat restoration programmes, including one to plant mangroves along vulnerable coastlines.
The party also proposed creating a centre to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries and look at opportunities to recycle or reuse them.
The FDM’s transportation and mobility policy listed plans to allow households to own a second vehicle if it is more than 20 years old or an electric vehicle.
It also featured a goal to improve public EV charging infrastructure.
Mr Sherlock, the president of the Professional Golfers Association of Bermuda, said that he had a rich family history in St George’s West as the nephew of cricket star Clarence Parfitt and the descendant of James “Jemmy” Darrell, a former enslaved man who became one of Bermuda’s first King’s pilots.
He said that he saw “a whole lot of untapped opportunity” to revitalise St George’s as a cultural and economic hub.
Mr Sherlock said he wanted to push the FDM’s education policies, such as diverting control of the public schools from the Department of Education to the schools’ administrations.
He added: “Those who know me know that, for the past few years, I have been spending time between Bermuda and Ghana, West Africa, where I have been able to institute and develop an NGO charity that helps to support children from a disadvantaged community in Ghana.
“To this day, albeit I am standing in front of you today in Bermuda, that programme is still running strong.”
Mr Sherlock will run against Kim Swan, of the PLP, and independent newcomer Tiffany Paynter.
Mr Bridgewater, a small-business owner, said that he joined the party because of his interest in helping people and that he wanted to give others a voice.
He added: “We want to help you. We want your voice to be heard and we are here for you.
“If you give me that honour, I will work very hard for you.”
Mr Bridgewater will face David Rogers, for the OBA, Noelle Young, an independent candidate, and Alexa Lightbourne, who will attempt to hold the seat for the PLP after it was won by Wayne Caines — who this month stepped away from the political arena — in 2020.
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