2025 Vincentian general election

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15 of the 23 seats in theHouse of Assembly 8 seats needed for a majority
Registered	103,524[1]
Turnout	62.53% ( 4.52pp)[1]
First party Second party   Leader Godwin Friday Ralph Gonsalves Party New Democratic Unity Labour Leader since 27 November 2026 6 December 1998 Leader's seat Northern Grenadines North Central Windward Last election 50.33%, 6 seats 49.59%, 9 seats Seats won 14 1 Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 37,207 27,152 Percentage 57.74% 42.14% Swing 7.41pp 7.19pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election Ralph Gonsalves Unity Labour ElectedPrime Minister Godwin Friday New Democratic

General elections were held inSaint Vincent and the Grenadines on 27 November 2025 to elect 15 members of theHouse of Assembly.^[2][3][4]

The incumbentUnity Labour Party (ULP) government, led by Prime MinisterRalph Gonsalves, sought re-election to a record sixth term in office. They were challenged by the oppositionNew Democratic Party (NDP), led byGodwin Friday, who sought to form government for the first time since1998. The election resulted in a landslide victory for the NDP, winning 14 of the 15 seats up for election. In its worst result in party history, the ULP was reduced to one seat from 9, with Gonsalves as its only remaining representative. The party also saw several cabinet members defeated in what was the largest fall from government in the nation's history.^[5] It was also the best result for the NDP since1989.

The2020 elections saw the incumbentUnity Labour Party (ULP) government underRalph Gonsalves getting re-elected to a record fifth consecutive term.^[6] While the ULP won nine seats, an increase by one, the incumbent party lost the popular vote for the first time since1998.^[7][8] Gonsalves was sworn in for his fifth term on 7 November 2020.^[9]

The incumbent ULP government sought re-election to a record sixth term in office. They were challenged by the oppositionNew Democratic Party (NDP), led byGodwin Friday, who sought to form government for the first time since1998.^[10]

The 15 elected members (representatives) of theHouse of Assembly are elected every five years in single-member constituencies using thefirst-past-the-post system.^[11][12] A further six members (senators) are appointed;^[3] four by the government and two by the opposition.^[13][14] The remaining two seats are held by theattorney general andSpeaker, for a total of 23 members.^[15]

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has atwo-party system. Only the ULP and NDP tend to win seats in elections.^[14][16]

On 28 October, outgoing Prime Minister Gonsalves dissolved the Parliament, starting the electoral campaign period.^[23][24] The candidate filing deadline was 10 November, and the voter registration deadline was 13 November.^[15] Thirty-two candidates filed to contest the 15 seats. Thirty of the candidates were members of either the ULP or NDP, and there was oneindependent candidate not affiliated with a party.^[25]Doris Charles-Frederick, the leader of the National Liberation Movement (NLM), also ran as an independent candidate in South Leeward.^[26] Nine of the candidates running were women, and before the election, there were five female members of the House of Assembly.^[15][25]

Early in the campaign, the ULP was expected to lead in the election. In October, the Dunn Pierre Barnett & Company Canada (DPBA) conducted a poll predicting the ULP to lead one seat over the NDP. Women tended to favour the ULP, but men favoured the NDP. Urban voters, especially inKingstown, recorded lower satisfaction with the government than rural voters.^[27][28] Later, on 12 November, the DPBA still found that the ULP had a 64% chance of retaining power.^[10]

The campaign for both parties hinged greatly on economic performance. The relatively high youth unemployment rate, at 27%, was a major driver of dissatisfaction with the ULP-led government.^[27] The general unemployment rate of 18% and the poverty rate of 26% also affected the ULP's image.^[29][30]

The ULP contested the election based on the economy, political stability, modernity, regionalism in the Caribbean, and attracting investment in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The ULP also supported increasing tourism to the country.^[31] Gonsalves and the ULP also supported greater cooperation in the Caribbean.^[32] This election was the first in which the ULP did not have adeputy leader.^[24] The party focused on the fact that many of their members and candidates are younger than in the NDP.^[24] Much sentiment against the ULP was due to their 24-year-long stint in government. The governmentvaccine mandate during theCOVID-19 pandemic also affected the ULP's support.^[5] Gonsalves was a strong supporter of the governments of Venezuela underNicolás Maduro and Cuba underMiguel Diaz-Canel.^[30]

The NDP focused on reducing unemployment, improving infrastructure and healthcare, political change, the cost-of-living, and crime.^[5][32][33] The party's strategy centered around groups least satisfied with the government.^[27] The NDP also previously supported severing diplomatic relations withTaiwan and moving to closer ties with thePRC, although this was absent from theirelection manifesto and the NDP did not commit to such a move during the campaign.^[10][34][35] The ULP had previously accused the PRC of financing the NDP.^[36] The NDP has proposed a "golden passport" system in which foreigners could invest in the country in order to gain citizenship.^[10][24] Surveys show that 62% of Vincentians would support such a citizenship-by-investment program.^[37]

TheCaribbean Community (CARICOM) sent a ten-member "CARICOM Election Observation Mission" (CEOM) to monitor the election. The CEOM was invited by the outgoing government on 2 October. The mission was in the country from 23–29 November.^[38][39]

The opposition NDP obtained asupermajority with 14 out of 15 elected seats, coming back to lead the government for the first time since 2001. This was the largest supermajority government for any party sincethe 1989 election,^[44] and the worst result for the ULP since its foundation in the mid-1990s. The outgoing Prime MinisterRalph Gonsalves was the only ULP representative to retain their seat.^[5] Finance MinisterCamillo Gonsalves and Agriculture MinisterSaboto Caesar, who were both seen as potential leaders of the ULP, would also lose their respective seats.^[45] Following the election, the ULP issued a statement saying that it would "keep working and advocating" for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.^[29][30] Friday was sworn in as Prime Minister on 28 November and his cabinet was sworn in on 2 December.^[29][46]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	New Democratic Party	37,207	57.74	14	+8
	Unity Labour Party	27,152	42.14	1	–8
	Independents	80	0.12	0	0
Total		64,439	100.00	15	0
Valid votes		64,439	99.54
Invalid/blank votes		297	0.46
Total votes		64,736	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		103,524	62.53
Source:Electoral Office[a]

• Jamaica: Prime MinisterAndrew Holness congratulated Friday on his victory, describing the election as an "important moment for the Vincentian people" and wishing Friday "every success as he undertakes the responsibility of national leadership".^[5]
• Taiwan: The ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines congratulated Friday, despite the NDP previously proposing severing relations with Taiwan and pivoting towards China.^[5][35] However, the oppositionKuomintang was harsher towards the new government, saying that the election reflected "deteriorating cross-strait relations".^[35]
• Venezuela: President Maduro said that he would be willing to work with Friday's government and thanked the outgoing Gonsalves.^[29] Gonsalves had been a strong supporter of Maduro's government.^[30]

• 2025 elections in the Caribbean
• 2025 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Elections in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• November 2025 in North America

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