ST. THOMAS — Senator Donna Frett-Gregory announced during a Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance meeting today that she will not be running for re-election.
The announcement came on the day of the deadline for prospective candidates to submit their intent to run for office during this year’s election with the Elections System of the Virgin Islands.
WATCH: Senator Donna A. Frett-Gregory Announcement
“I came to this decision after careful reflection and discussion with family members, friends, supporters, and constituents,” Frett-Gregory said. “After 37 years of public service, the last six of which I have been a member of this body, I know that now I am ready to write a new chapter.”
Frett-Gregory was first elected in the 33rd Legislature, where she held the position of vice president and chair of the Committee on Finance for a short time. She went on to chair the Committee of Education and Workforce Development during her first term. During her second term she served as Senate president, being only the third woman to do so.
Frett-Gregory serves as chair of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance, and vice chair of the Committee on Education and Workforce Development. She is a member of the Committees on Economic Development and Agriculture, and Health, Hospitals and Human Services.
According to her bio, the senator, who has a reputation as a fiscally-minded power player in the Senate, sponsored more than 30 pieces of legislation as a freshman senator and co-sponsored more than 120 bills. Frett-Gregory has been the top vote-getter for the St. Thomas/St. John District as a senatorial candidate in both primary and general elections since first running in 2018.
Her fiscal-minded policy was an asset in the implementation of cost-saving measures and fiscal accountability throughout the government, according to the Legislature’s website.
Although she won’t seek re-election, Frett-Gregory made it clear that she is not leaving the Virgin Islands.
“I will remain a fierce advocate for good government and sound public policy in the Virgin Islands when my term ends,” she said.
Senator Ray Fonseca spoke of Frett-Gregory's contributions to the Senate during today’s meeting.
“Senator Donna Frett-Gregory has a unique combination of skillset and experience that is extremely rare in the Virgin Islands,” he said. “Her ability to concentrate and get to work is beyond repute. It’s been such a pleasure working with Donna Frett-Gregory.”
Frett-Gregory responded to her fellow St. Thomas colleague.
“Thank you, just know we are only in May, we have a lot of work to do, and I am super excited to work on the FY 2025 budget,” she said. “I worked the 2024 budget and that was a heavy lift.”
Frett-Gregory didn’t offer any concrete plans for her future but did say she looks forward to serving the Virgin Islands in a different forum, and in a different role. She will also use this time to spend more time with her 91-year-old mother. Her term as senator will end January 2025.
