On August 31, 2026, the People’s United Party (PUP) convention in Belize delivered a series of unanticipated results that extended far beyond the heavily anticipated mayoral contest that dominated pre-event headlines. While the mayoral showdown drew the bulk of public attention in the lead-up to Sunday’s gathering, the most notable developments of the day unfolded in the race for councilor candidates, where a slate of 10 contenders earned spots on the PUP’s general election ticket – four of whom are first-time political candidates.
Leading the pack of successful councilor hopefuls was Kristian “El Toxico” Alpuche, who secured the highest number of votes of any candidate, finishing with 564 delegate votes to claim his place on the ticket. The most dramatic finish of the day belonged to Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, who pulled off a narrow, one-vote victory against incumbent sitting Councilor Malcolm Nunez in what was the tightest race of the entire convention. Immediately after official vote totals were confirmed by party leadership, all 10 winning candidates were sworn in to formalize their positions on the PUP ticket.
In remarks following his victory, Alpuche, a Belize City resident running for his first council seat, emphasized that his connection to local communities, rather than traditional political experience, drove his strong performance at the convention. “When you are being genuine people see that. And like I always say, through my platform I do a lot of good and the results today just show that,” Alpuche shared. He went on to credit his core team, his faith in God, and his family for their support through the campaign, noting that his family had sacrificed countless hours to help him secure the win. “I have a great team behind me. I first have to thank God. My family support, because they sacrificed a lot of hours. We are here. I am glad my team made it. But now it’s time for me to prove to the people that doubted me that I will make it happen,” he added. A self-described non-traditional candidate, Alpuche said his priority will be centering the needs of Belize City residents. “As I walk out that yard and hold my son I will start to cry, because I dah nuh wah politician, but I know about people and I know how to deal with the people. I the come unu way and unu wah see it.”
For Leslie, his narrow victory capped two decades of informal community work that he says prepared him for public office. “I have been a people person for over twenty years. I have been in the community for twenty years and City Council is public service. So I have been an unofficial public servant for twenty years. Thanks to the great People’s United Party they have made me an official public servant today,” Leslie explained. When asked how he pulled off the one-vote upset against the incumbent councilor, Leslie echoed Alpuche in crediting his faith and the support of convention delegates. “Well, I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ. I think it is by one vote I made it in. And I also want to thank every single delegate,” Leslie said.
This report is adapted from a live transcript of a televised evening newscast, with Kriol-language remarks from candidates preserved using a standardized spelling system for accessibility.