In a landmark general election outcome announced early Friday, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have secured the party’s first ever consecutive re-election since its 1987 founding, delivering a dominant landslide performance that reshapes the island nation’s political landscape. The 49-year-old attorney first swept to power in 2022, ending a long stretch of New National Party (NNP) control with a 9-6 parliamentary majority, ousting an administration that had held all 15 legislative seats just two years prior.
Preliminary results from the Parliamentary Elections Office confirm the NDC claimed 14 of 15 available seats, leaving the once-dominant NNP with a single isolated victory in the St George North West constituency. That seat, held for 42 consecutive years by retiring former NNP leader Dr Keith Mitchell since 1984, was retained by NNP candidate Tawfiq Adrian Marlan Joseph, who polled 2,052 votes against 89 for his NDC challenger and 69 for the People’s National Party (PNP) contender.
A series of high-profile upsets marked the vote: Education Minister David Andrew reversed his 2022 narrow loss to NNP leader Emmalin Pierre, who had campaigned to become Grenada’s first female prime minister, by securing 2,011 votes to Pierre’s 1,849 in the St Andrew South East seat. Former long-serving foreign affairs minister Peter David, who split from the NDC to launch the new Democratic People’s Movement (DPM), lost his Town of St George seat to Attorney General Claudette Joseph by a wide margin, despite pre-election predictions that he would emerge as a major kingmaker. The DPM, which fielded nine candidates, and all other minor parties including the historic Grenada United Labour Party, the Grenada Social Democratic Party, the Grenada Renaissance Party, and Change of Hope for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique failed to gain any meaningful electoral traction, combining for less than 2,000 total votes.
In a public statement, defeated NNP leader Emmalin Pierre struck a gracious tone, acknowledging the will of the electorate. “While the outcome of the elections is not what we had hoped and worked hard for, we must remember that our strength comes not only from the victory we celebrate but from the grace of God that carries us through life challenges,” she said. “The people of Grenada have spoken, and we respect their decision; democracy demands we accept the verdict of the population with dignity and humility.” The NNP’s official website echoed that commitment, noting its “unwavering love for you, and commitment to the people of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique” regardless of the result.
Addressing jubilant supporters at a victory rally at Pearls Airstrip in the early hours of Friday, Prime Minister Mitchell framed the win as a collective achievement for all Grenadians. “This is your victory. This is your making of history. This is your belief in yourself, because as Grenadians, we know what we want. We know what we deserve. And we know where we should be going and what type of future we want to create for ourselves,” he told crowds, pledging that his administration would prioritize people-centered policies over political gimmicks over its upcoming five-year term.
Regional political analysts weighed in on the transformative result, with Trinidad-based commentator Derek Ramsamooj telling the Caribbean Media Corporation that the vote marked the end of the NNP’s decades-long political dominance. “This reflects an acceptance of new, young, dynamic leadership that can deliver a better quality of life,” Ramsamooj noted, adding that the NNP would require full leadership renewal to reemerge as a viable governing alternative. Barbados-based political scientist Peter Wickham described the outcome as “political carnage” for the NNP, noting that while pre-election polling had suggested the NNP was regaining ground, the scale of the NDC’s win far outstripped most projections.
Regional heads of government across the Caribbean Community (Caricom) lined up to extend official congratulations to Mitchell and his administration. St Lucia Prime Minister and current Caricom chair Phillip J Pierre, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Guyana President Irfaan Ali, and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Godwin Friday all issued statements praising the clear mandate from Grenadian voters and committing to deepen regional collaboration over the coming term. Final official preliminary data shows a 63.3% voter turnout, with 61,264 valid ballots cast across the tri-island state.
PM Mitchell leads NDC to historic victory
