Politics

Daniel Gibbs: territorial councillor, MP, Collectivité president and Senator

Daniel Gibbs has held public office in Saint-Martin since 2007: territorial councillor, MP from 2012 to 2017, President of the Collectivité from 2017 to 2022 and, as of 14 October 2026, Senator.

By SXM Daily · October 14, 2026

Daniel Gibbs has held elected office on the French side of the island since 2007. He has been a territorial councillor, member of the French National Assembly for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, President of the Collectivité de Saint-Martin and, as of 14 October 2026, Saint-Martin's Senator.

Photo: Starus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Background

Daniel Christian Gibbs, as the Collectivité's records give his full name, was born in Saint-Martin on 8 January 1968, according to both his National Assembly file and his Sénat page. His National Assembly file for 2012 to 2017 lists his profession as notary. The Sénat now lists him as a business consultant (consultant en conseil aux entreprises, co-manager of a consulting firm).

He has been a member of the territorial council since the Collectivité's first council was formed in 2007, and the Sénat still lists him as a territorial councillor.

Interim president, 2009

According to the Collectivité's history, the territorial council elected Gibbs interim president on 14 April 2009. He held the post until 5 May 2009, when Frantz Gumbs was elected president again.

Member of the National Assembly, 2012 to 2017

From 20 June 2012 to 20 June 2017, during the 14th legislature, Gibbs was the member (député) for the first constituency of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin. The Assemblée nationale's records spell his surname "Gibbes".

President of the Collectivité, 2017 to 2022

Gibbs's list won the territorial elections of March 2017 with more than 64% of the vote in the second round. On 2 April 2017 the territorial council elected him President of the Collectivité with 18 votes, with 4 blank ballots and 1 spoiled ballot, Soualiga Post reported. He was the fifth person to hold the post.

His term ended on 3 April 2022, when the council elected Louis Mussington as president.

The 2022 court case

On 24 February 2022, the tribunal correctionnel of Saint-Martin acquitted Gibbs on all charges of favouritism and breaches of public-procurement rules over post-Irma contracts. Outre-mer La 1ère, France-Antilles and Le Pélican reported the ruling.

Senator for Saint-Martin

Saint-Martin has a single seat in the French Senate. Gibbs was elected to the Senate on 27 September 2026, according to his page on the Sénat's website. According to the Sénat's published results, the seat is chosen by 25 senatorial electors. Valérie Damaseau led the first round with 11 votes to 6 for Gibbs. In the second round Gibbs won with 13 votes (54%) to 11 for Damaseau. He succeeds Annick Pétrus, the outgoing senator.

His six-year term began on 1 October 2026, France-Antilles and Le Pélican reported. As of 14 October 2026, he is Saint-Martin's Senator. According to the Sénat, he sits on the Finance Committee (Commission des finances) and is attached (apparenté) to the Les Républicains group.

Key dates

2007: member of the territorial council from the Collectivité's first council
14 April 2009: elected interim president of the territorial council
20 June 2012 to 20 June 2017: member of the National Assembly for Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin
2 April 2017: elected President of the Collectivité
3 April 2022: presidency ends with the election of Louis Mussington
27 September 2026: elected Senator for Saint-Martin
1 October 2026: Senate term begins

Sources

https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/deputes/PA610830/fonctions?archive=oui
https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/deputes/PA610830
https://www.senat.fr/senateur/gibbs_daniel18153g.html
https://senatoriales2026.senat.fr/departement/978-saint-martin
https://www.com-saint-martin.fr/thematiques/organisation-territoriale/votre-collectivite/histoire-de-la-collectivite
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/guadeloupe/senatoriales-2026-daniel-gibbs-elu-senateur-de-saint-martin-1742594.html
https://www.comstmartin.fr/elus
https://www.soualigapost.com/fr/actualite/12727/com/les-nouveaux-%C3%A9lus-sont-install%C3%A9s
https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/guadeloupe/saint-martin/daniel-gibbs-et-valerie-damaseau-ont-ete-relaxes-par-le-tribunal-correctionnel-de-saint-martin-1239646.html
https://www.guadeloupe.franceantilles.fr/actualite/justice/daniel-gibbs-et-valerie-damaseau-relaxes-par-le-tribunal-correctionnel-de-saint-martin-397527.php
https://www.lepelican-journal.com/Proces-des-elus-affaire-classee-pour-Daniel-Gibbs-et-Valerie-Damaseau/
https://www.guadeloupe.franceantilles.fr/actualite/saint-martin/senatoriales-daniel-gibbs-elu-senateur-de-saint-martin-au-second-tour-1094256.php
https://www.lepelican-journal.com/senatoriales-la-majorite-vacille-daniel-gibbs-est-elu-au-second-tour/

Source: https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/deputes/PA610830/fonctions?archive=oui