February 13, 2026
Barbados elections were held on February 11, 2026 and incumbent Prime Minister Mia Mottley has won her third consecutive landslide victory.
Mottley’s Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won all 30 seats available in the lower house of parliament, unseating the opposition leader, Ralph Thorne, after the prime minister – who has built one of the strongest global profiles of any Caribbean leader – won the support of voters across the island country, CBC Barbados reported early on Thursday.
“Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” Mottley, 60, said in a victory speech.
Surrounded by supporters dressed in red, she pledged to strengthen efforts on issues such as infrastructure, healthcare and road safety.
“We did not come simply to hold office. We have come to make Barbados better and to make your lives better,” she said. Friday will be a public holiday in Barbados, she added.
At her swearing-in ceremony, Mottley told reporters the international landscape had changed substantially since her first election win in 2018, and that the small island would look to unity and innovation to move forward.
“The people have spoken, and we respect their voices,” the opposition Democratic Labour Party said.
Thorne did not cast a ballot because he was not registered in the district where he was living and competing, according to state TV network CBC. He was elected there in 2022 as a member of the BLP but moved to the DLP in 2024.
The head of the Caribbean Community’s electoral observation mission said before the election it had received concerns about inaccuracies on the voting register.
Some opposition candidates said this would justify a delay in the vote, but the electoral commission said citizens had time to address inaccuracies and the process was legitimate.
Thorne, speaking at Democratic Labour Party headquarters, described the outcome as disappointing but thanked supporters for what he characterised as a clean campaign.
The opposition had campaigned heavily on domestic security and infrastructure, arguing that policy should focus more squarely on issues affecting Barbadians at home.
Mottley is known for spearheading a plan on climate disaster financing that would make more funds available from international lenders to developing nations.
Under Mottley, Barbados also cut ties with Queen Elizabeth II in November 2021 and ceased to be a constitutional monarchy.
Mottley said she expects that her Cabinet would be sworn in on Monday and that Parliament would reopen by the end of next week.