ST. CROIX — Former Senator Kurt Vialet clinched the senatorial race as the top vote-getter territorially during Tuesday’s general election while Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett won by a landslide to secure her sixth term as the territory’s nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the unofficial results.
The general election also included candidates running in both districts for seats on the Board of Elections and Board of Education, as well as to serve as delegates to the Sixth Constitutional Convention.
While Vialet secured the most votes on St. Croix and territorially in the senatorial race with 4,825 following an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2022, voters reelected four incumbent senators from St. Croix and all six who ran again from the St. Thomas/St. John District.
Voters did not reelect two incumbent senators from St. Croix, creating the opportunity for two newly-elected senators to join the Legislature from that district. The St. Thomas/St. John District also has a newly-elected senator.
Vialet, who served four terms in the Senate from 2014 to 2022, expressed deep humility and responsibility regarding his reelection to a fifth term. He highlighted St. Croix's critical needs in education, health care, and quality of life, emphasizing the severe learning loss among students and the urgency to address it. Vialet also stressed the need to investigate and resolve the status of the project to rebuild the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center, and to combat corruption and mismanagement at the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to reduce electricity costs. He said he was humbled by the voters who gave him an opportunity to once again serve them.
“I don’t take serving lightly,” Vialet said. “I think it’s a very, very important responsibility and individuals need to be careful in their selection. And I’ve always been very pleased that I’m one of those individuals that they believe is doing a good job, and they literally reward me by the outpouring of support and the fact that I run first, I mean, after sitting out this term. So, I’m humbled by the support, but I know that the people of St. Croix, they’re looking for representation.”
While Vialet secured the most votes on St. Croix and territorially, Senator Milton Potter received the most votes in the St. Thomas/St. John District with 3,976.
Potter expressed his humility and commitment to serving the people of the Virgin Islands for a third term. He emphasized his consistent efforts to make decisions in the best interest of the community and highlighted the significant challenges ahead, including infrastructure rebuilding, hospital and school construction, and transforming WAPA. He said every decision he makes as a lawmaker is within the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands.
“We have a lot of hard work to do in the 36th Legislature, and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves along with my colleagues to tackle some of the big issues that we’re faced with,” he said. “I’m talking about WAPA, I’m talking about the devastated infrastructure rebuilding hospitals and schools, and we’re trying to transform WAPA, so we have some huge issues to tackle right now. So, I mean, it’s just time for work. We can pause for a minute, but then the real work begins tomorrow.”
When asked during WTJX’s live coverage of the general election on Tuesday night if he thinks finishing as the top vote-getter in his district is a mandate for him to become the next Senate president, Potter said he would not shy away from the leadership position.
“I know the presidency will be in the district of St. Thomas/St. John,” he said. “We’re going to meet at some point to discuss that, but it is something that I would consider as my colleagues put their faith and trust in me leading the institution.”
The four incumbent senators reelected on St. Croix in descending vote order are Senate President Novelle Francis Jr. and Senators Kenneth Gittens, Franklin Johnson, and Marise James. The two newly-elected senators on St. Croix were Clifford Joseph and Hubert Frederick.
Joseph, the district’s second highest vote-getter, is a retired firefighter who served as director of the Virgin Islands Fire Service for three years under former Governor Kenneth Mapp. He expressed his humility and commitment to serving the public after winning the election. He emphasized his dedication to understanding voter motivations and thanked God, the St. Croix community, his family, and supporters. He stressed his commitment to serve, and his commitment to people.
“I see that if we could try and make the next person feel better, we could move the Virgin Islands forward,” Joseph said.
Frederick, who previously ran in 2022 but did not make it through the primary election after finishing in the eighth position, secured the sixth Senate seat. He said he was “ecstatic” to be elected.
“I want to thank all my supporters, all the people who had faith and believed that I could really win this election, I want to thank them,” he said. “And for all those people out there who didn’t know me but still voted for me, I appreciate your support and your vote, and I’m willing to work as hard as it takes to make sure we turn St. Croix around and represent the Virgin Islands.”
In addition to Potter, the other incumbent senators reelected from the St. Thomas/St. John District in descending vote order are Senators Alma Francis Heyliger, Dwayne DeGraff, Marvin Blyden, Carla Joseph, and Ray Fonseca. The newly-elected senator in the district is Avery Lewis, former St. Thomas/Water Island administrator.
Lewis, who was elected to his first term in the Senate, expressed gratitude to God and acknowledged the support from his team, family, friends, and the people of the Virgin Islands. He said his top priorities include education, homelessness, and community ordinances, noting a strong commitment to environmental health. Lewis emphasized his readiness to work with everyone and propel the Virgin Islands forward.
At-Large Senator Angel Bolques Jr., the St. John representative in the Legislature, will serve his second full term after beating his only competitor for the at-large seat, Lorelei Marsh Monsanto, by 3,184 votes territory wide.
Bolques began serving as a senator in 2022 during the last quarter of the 34th Legislature upon being selected by the Democratic Party to fill the vacancy left following the expulsion of former At-Large Senator Steven Payne Sr. for violating the Legislature’s zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment. He expressed his deep gratitude and humility for winning the at-large seat.
“I believe a lot of the work and actions that I’ve been able to portray and do in the 35th has been beneficial to the people for them to give me another opportunity to serve them in this capacity, and I’m only going to do better because, you know, as we know, sometimes we work and we do things and we learn from our mistakes, if there’s any,” Bolques said.
While voters reelected 10 incumbent senators territory wide, two incumbents did not finish among the top seven to secure their seats in the St. Croix District. They are Senators Diane Capehart and Samuel Carrión.
Capehart, who previously served in the 30th Legislature, said the voters have spoken.
“They went out to the polls, and they selected the individuals who they wanted to represent them,” she said. “I am so grateful for those individuals that came out and voted their confidence in giving me the job again, but I didn’t get enough votes, so phase two for me.”
Carrión expressed gratitude to the people of St. Croix for allowing him to serve them in his two terms, acknowledging the democratic process. He thanked his family, staff, and supporters for their confidence and support. Despite finishing in ninth place, Carrión accepted the election results and wished congratulations to the winners while honoring all participants for their willingness to serve.
“I am honored for the work that I’ve been able to accomplish in these two terms, to be able to serve and represent,” he said. “And I wish all those that won congratulations and wish them the best.”
While Vialet secured the most votes territory wide in the senatorial race and Bolques received the most votes in the race for the at-large Senate seat, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett won the congressional race after securing 73.9% of the votes territory wide.
Plaskett, a Democrat, beat Republican Ronald Pickard and an independent candidate, Ida Smith. While Plaskett received 9,988 votes territory wide, Smith received 2,218 and Pickard received 1,311. Plaskett said she felt grateful to the people of the Virgin Islands for reelecting her to serve a sixth term.
“I feel that each term, it’s a new challenge,” Plaskett said. “There are new things that are going on in Washington that I'm really excited about, and that’s what keeps me going. That’s what keeps me motivated. And so, I’m grateful for them for that.”
The candidates elected to the Board of Education are Mary “Peggy” Moorhead and Emmanuella Perez on St. Croix, and Kyza Callwood and Nandi Sekou in the St. Thomas/St. John District.
The candidates elected to the Board of Elections are Lilliana Belardo de O’Neal, C. Jason JnBaptiste, Michael Joseph, and Cleopatra Peter on St. Croix, and Larence Boschulte, Chaneel Callwood, and Barbara LaRonde in the St. Thomas/St. John District.
The Sixth Constitutional Convention has 15 delegates, including seven from each district and one at-large delegate.
The seven delegates from St. Croix in descending vote order are Usie Richards, Devin Carrington, Belardo de O’Neal, John Abramson Jr., Rupert Ross Jr., former Senator Ronald Russell, and John Canegata.
There were only four certified candidates running in the St. Thomas/St. John District, so the remaining three seats are expected to be filled by write-in votes. The four delegates in the district are Stedmann Hodge Jr., Arturo Watlington Jr., Rudel Hodge Jr., and David Silverman.
Alecia Wells won the at-large delegate seat after beating one opponent, Hadiya Sewer.
