Former NBA player Rick Fox has been selected by the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) to serve in the Bahamian Senate following the country’s recent general election.
According to Reuters, opposition parties in The Bahamas are allotted four seats in the nation’s 16-member Senate. Fox, 56, is among those chosen to represent the FNM in the upper chamber.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star had contested the Garden Hills constituency in the May 12 general election but was defeated by Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate Mario Bowleg.
Fox entered frontline Bahamian politics after previously serving as ambassador-at-large for sports, a position he was appointed to by the government in August 2022. His transition into partisan politics drew public attention in late 2025 when he began openly criticising aspects of the Davis administration and discussing national political issues.
At the time, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell suggested that diplomats unwilling to support the government’s agenda should resign. Fox responded by saying he had “zero intention” of stepping down from the ambassadorial role.
In November 2025, Fox formally announced his candidacy for the 2026 general election, centering his campaign on government transparency, affordability and what he described as the creation of a “modern economy.” He was later ratified as the FNM’s candidate for Garden Hills after months of speculation over whether he would run independently.
During the campaign, Prime Minister Philip Davis claimed Fox had previously sought a nomination from the governing PLP before joining the FNM.
Fox also drew attention for his financial disclosure filings, which listed approximately US$470 million in total assets and US$4.8 million in annual income, making him the wealthiest declared candidate in the election. The disclosure included US$432 million in securities and investments, US$14.5 million in accounts receivable, US$11 million in real estate holdings and roughly US$192,000 in bank assets. The figures were significantly higher than previous public estimates of his net worth, which had generally been reported at more than US$20 million.
Questions surrounding Fox’s citizenship and eligibility to run for office also became a topic of debate during the campaign. Fox said in October 2025 that he would be willing to renounce his Canadian citizenship if he entered “frontline politics.” Under Bahamian law, individuals who voluntarily hold citizenship in another country may be disqualified from serving in the House of Assembly.
General elections in The Bahamas were held on May 12, 2026, to elect all 41 members of the House of Assembly. The PLP secured a second consecutive term in office, with Davis becoming the first Bahamian prime minister since 1997 to win re-election. FNM leader Michael Pintard conceded the election just hours after polls closed.
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