Two prominent politicians could be squaring off to represent Warwick North East at the General Election.

Senator Jeff Baron was rolled out for the seat at a One Bermuda Alliance press conference yesterday — and incumbent Mark Pettingill, who quit the ruling party to become an independent MP three months ago, later said he had not ruled out running himself.

Nalton Brangman, Sheila Gomez, Jeff Sousa and Robyn Swan were also unveiled as Warwick candidates at the Rubber Tree.

Contacted by The Royal Gazette yesterday, Mr Pettingill said he hadn’t ruled out another run. “I have received a lot of support to run as an independent so nothing is off the table at this stage,” he said. After leaving the OBA in March, Mr Pettingill said that he would probably retire from politics at the next General Election.

Speaking yesterday, he said he was “not surprised” by the announcement that Mr Baron would be running in the constituency.

“There are a number of people who wanted that seat after I resigned and he was always the front-runner to get it,” Mr Pettingill said.

Mr Pettingill’s win, Mr Baron said, was due to constituents in the area supporting the OBA.

“It was not about personalities — it was about what the One Bermuda Alliance was offering, and what the One Bermuda Alliance ethos was for Bermuda,” he said.

Mr Baron, the National Security Minister, said that his approach would not be affected by who he might be squaring off against for the spot.

“It doesn’t change my level of energy, it doesn’t change my strategy,” he said.

His work as minister, Mr Baron said, had led him to walk the streets in Warwick “addressing antisocial behaviour issues on Morgans Road” and “organising and meeting with neighbourhood watch zones”.

He described the OBA candidates as a diverse group. “It’s time to get to work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ms Gomez will run in Warwick North Central, Constituency 27, where the incumbent is OBA MP Wayne Scott, a former education minister.

Last night an OBA spokesman confirmed that Mr Scott would continue to work “with the OBA”.

“Former minister Scott has said he would work eight years in Constituency 27,” the spokesman said. “While he won’t run in that seat, he intends to continue to work with the OBA and provide leadership going forward.”

Ms Gomez said the OBA was “getting the job done”.

The former tennis player and coach described her work experience as “far reaching”, highlighting work in fields including accounting, international real estate, and entrepreneurship.

She said she wanted to move the island forward, both socially and economically, and would advocate for tolerance and a greater focus on parents.

“If you are a tolerant and respective community, it works best,” she said.

Mr Brangman will run in Warwick South East, where Lawrence Scott holds the Constituency 24 seat for the Progressive Labour Party.

“I’ve been around politics since 1968,” he told members of the media in attendance.

A former education minister, Mr Brangman said he was pleased by the track record of the party.

“We were able to move the bar forward for children and for young adults,” he said.

“We were able to see growth and development, and also to keep continuity.”

Ms Swan will run in Warwick South Central, the Constituency 26 seat where she lost a by-election to Neville Tyrrell of the PLP last December.

“After extensive surgery, Bermuda is finally on the recovery ward,” Ms Swan said.

She said the party had proven its fiscal responsibility, re-attracted international business to the island, and displayed its ability to prioritise and execute projects.

Ms Swan promised to support “responsible and comprehensive” drug reform, and said the next stage of the island’s recovery would focus on education and social reform.

“Affordable education in a clean, safe and healthy environment, creating an economy that grants seniors the ability to retire in their own island, and also ensuring that every Bermudian is afforded the same opportunities,” she said.

“This is the leadership that needs to be at the helm of Bermuda.”

Mr Sousa will run in Warwick West, Constituency 28, the seat he won in the 2012 election.

He described serving the constituency for the last five years as “an honour”.

Mr Sousa pointed to the positive work of the party in the visible construction taking place — including new hotel developments, road works, and the new airport — and the jobs that were being created as a result.

“There is truly a tourism revival taking place at the moment, that will benefit each and every one of us,” he said.

Mr Sousa said voters were in “very safe hands” with the party.

Michael Dunkley, the Premier, introduced the group as a team “that brought all the ingredients together” that the party needed for success.

The coming election, Mr Dunkley said, was the time for the people of Bermuda to decide “whether they wanted to continue to move forward or whether they wanted to step back”.