ST. CROIX — As the newly selected Senate president, Senator Milton Potter is poised to lead the 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands during his third term in office with a focus on transparency, collaboration, and finding practical solutions to the territory’s most pressing issues.
Potter, a Democrat who announced his selection as the proposed Senate president in a statement issued today, emphasized his steady, balanced leadership style, and the importance of accountability during an interview with WTJX.
Although Potter outlined the plan for the makeup of the incoming Senate majority caucus, officers, and committee chairs and vice chairs, the members of the 36th Legislature will formally vote on the proposals during its first legislative session on Monday, January 13, 2025 following a swearing-in ceremony.
The highest vote-getter in the St. Thomas/St. John District, Potter expressed his gratitude and excitement about being selected as Senate president by the incoming 12-member Democratic majority caucus. He pointed out the position traditionally alternates between districts each term.
“I am definitely grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with the leadership reins of the 36th Legislature,” he said. “I look forward to doing my very best to ensure that we preserve and protect this institution, and we provide positive outcomes in terms of quality-of-life improvements for the people of the Virgin Islands.”
The lawmakers will meet as a majority caucus to discuss the issues they would like to pursue as a body, Potter said, highlighting the need for inclusivity in the legislative process. He outlined key priorities such as energy, disaster recovery, affordable housing, and health care.
“I’m going to be very realistic in expectations as far as what we are going to be able to fix within a two-year span, but I hope that we will be able to develop some foundational things to look at long-standing problems in a different way, to bring in some outside-of-the-box perspectives,” he said.
Senator-elect Kurt Vialet, who previously served four terms in the Legislature, will hold his first leadership position in the Senate as majority leader. He outlined in a statement that the focus of the new Legislature will be on ensuring the timely spending of federal funds to support the territory’s rebuilding efforts, reform of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, economic development, education, health care, and more.
“We believe in a future where every Virgin Islander has the opportunity to succeed, and we will dedicate ourselves to making that vision a reality,” he said in a statement.
While discussing his role as majority leader to help the Senate establish an agenda, Vialet told WTJX that he will collaborate with his colleagues to determine the most outstanding issues facing the Virgin Islands so senators can confront them during committee meetings.
“I think a big part of my role has to deal with the functionality of government and the oversight responsibility of the Legislature, and the oversight of the Legislature should be able to improve the functionality of government,” he said.
Vialet said his biggest concern is spending the $15 billion in disaster recovery funds the territory is slated to receive to complete projects to improve the quality of life for residents.
“I want to make sure that we don’t lose out on this opportunity by being able to hold executive branch accountable but also being able to complement what they’re trying to do, and to make sure that the Legislature plays an important role in developing and forming laws that will expedite the process overall,” he said.
Vialet, a former educator who has taught in the classroom and served as principal, will chair the Committee on Education and Workforce Development. He said his priority as committee chair will be to return the schools to normal operations following the hurricanes of 2017 and the coronavirus that required virtual classes and resulted in learning loss. He said his biggest concern is making sure students are learning at grade level.
“I’m going to do a thorough scrub of the Education Department to make sure that they’re using all the tools that they have at their disposal, and that we’re in no way jeopardizing students’ ability to do well,” he said.
While Vialet will be tasked with leading the 12-member Democratic majority, Potter will be responsible for leading the entire lawmaking body.
Potter said he believes the people of the Virgin Islands appreciate his balanced leadership style, which he developed through his prior experience in human resources and as a director of the Division of Personnel from 2015 to 2020. As a freshman senator during the 34th Legislature, Potter quickly took on leadership roles, chairing the Committee on Rules and Judiciary and serving as head of the Ethics Committee. In the 35th Legislature, he chaired the Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning, providing oversight for the territory’s recovery efforts following the devastating hurricanes of 2017.
As the newly selected Senate president, Potter aims to bring a steady, level-headed approach to leading the institution.
“I’m not coming with a whole lot of frills,” he said, adding that he rarely makes dramatic speeches on the floor and does not berate testifiers. “I’m just going to be focusing on trying to find what the problem is, and let’s work together to find a solution.”
Looking ahead to the 36th Legislature, Potter outlined the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority among the key priorities he hopes to address. He highlighted other pressing issues such as disaster recovery, health care, and affordable housing. He emphasized the need for realistic goals and a collaborative approach to address these complex challenges. That collaboration includes senators working together as well as testifiers working with them.
“I think we’re going to be able to put some dent in the perception that the Legislature is this crazy, hostile, antagonistic environment where people are afraid to come to interact with the body because you’re going to be aggressively taken apart,” Potter said.
The majority caucus of the 36th Legislature will be composed of the 12 Democrats elected by voters, including eight incumbent senators, one former senator, and three newly elected senators. The incumbents are Potter, as well as Senators Marvin Blyden, Angel Bolques Jr., Ray Fonseca, Kenneth Gittens, Marise James, Carla Joseph, and Novelle Francis Jr., the outgoing Senate president. Vialet will be returning to the Legislature after running for governor in 2022. The three Senators-elect are Hubert Frederick, Clifford Joseph, and Avery Lewis.
While the majority caucus selected Potter as the incoming Senate president and Vialet will serve as majority leader, Gittens will serve as vice president, and Lewis will be the secretary.
Potter, in a statement, expressed his enthusiasm for this new chapter at the Legislature.
“It is with great pride that I announce this dedicated team of leaders who are not only committed to serving the community but is also equipped with the vision and experience necessary to address the challenges we face,” he stated. “Together we will work tirelessly to ensure that the voices of our constituents are heard and that our territory thrives.”
Gittens, the incoming Senate vice president, emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration.
“Our leadership team represents a blend of diverse perspectives and strengths,” he said in a statement. “We are committed to working together to create effective policies that reflect the values and needs of our people. We are ready to hit the ground running.”
Lewis said in a statement that he was honored to take on the role of secretary and support the body in its important work.
“We will ensure transparency and accountability as we strive to improve the quality of life for all Virgin Islanders,” he stated.
Members of the majority caucus will serve as the chairs and vice chairs of the Legislature’s 10 committees, Potter said.
Francis will chair the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance. Blyden will be the vice chair.
Bolques will continue chairing the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports and Parks. Carla Joseph will be the vice chair.
James will chair the Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning. Potter will be the vice chair.
Frederick will chair the Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture. Bolques will be the vice chair.
Vialet will chair the Committee on Education and Workforce Development. Lewis will be the vice chair.
Lewis will chair the Committee on Government Operations and Consumer Protection. Francis will be the vice chair.
Fonseca will continue chairing the Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services. Frederick will be the vice chair.
Clifford Joseph will chair the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety. Fonseca will be the vice chair.
Blyden will continue chairing the Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications. Clifford Joseph will be the vice chair.
Carla Joseph will chair the Committee on Rules and Judiciary. Gittens will be the vice chair.
The three incumbent senators who make up the Senate minority caucus are Senators Dwayne DeGraff, Alma Francis Heyliger, and Franklin Johnson.