ST. CROIX — Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and running mate Senate President Milton Potter won the Democratic primary for governor and lieutenant governor Saturday, while former Senator Janelle Sarauw received the most votes for delegate to Congress and a four-vote margin separated the final St. Thomas/St. John Senate nomination, leaving absentee ballots likely to determine who advances to the general election, according to unofficial results.
The primary favored incumbent officeholders, with all Democratic lawmakers seeking another term advancing to the November 3 general election.
With 9,561 votes cast in the gubernatorial race, Plaskett and Potter received 4,493 votes, or about 47% of the vote. They ran the board on St. Croix and St. John, winning all the precincts on the two islands and the North Look Precinct on St. Thomas. Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach and his running mate, Senator Novelle Francis Jr., finished second with 3,054 votes, winning seven out of the eight precincts on St. Thomas. Former Senator Donna Frett-Gregory and St. Croix Educational Complex Principal Rodney Moorhead received 1,975 votes, coming in last in every precinct in the territory.
Addressing supporters after the results were announced, Plaskett called for unity ahead of the general election.
“We have to open up our camp to whomever wants to be a part of change, who believes for better for the Virgin Islands,” Plaskett said. “And then come November, we need to make it so because what St. Croix said was that we cannot continue the way we are. That the basics must be taken care of.”
Plaskett said the campaign would now shift its focus to the general election, centered on improving healthcare, public education, public safety, energy reliability, and economic development. She urged like-minded individuals to join her and Potter.
“I’m asking those individuals who were in the Tregenza Roach/Novelle Francis campaign, in the Donna Frett-Gregory/Rodney Moorhead campaign, or any other independent, ICM, Republican, no-party person who believes in that vision — this is the place for you,” she said.
Potter said the campaign would focus on addressing the territory’s longstanding challenges, including the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, healthcare, and education.
“We have major systems in this territory that are struggling,” he said. “Stacey Plaskett and I represent the best chance, the best opportunity to build these systems.”
The Roach/Francis campaign sent out a statement Saturday night after the results were announced.
“We want to offer our sincere congratulations to Delegate Stacey Plaskett and Senator Milton Potter on their victory tonight,” the statement read. “This territory is stronger for having leaders willing to step forward and serve, and we wish them every success as they carry this campaign into November.”
In a speech delivered to her supporters after the votes were counted, Frett-Gregory congratulated the winners.
“We ain walking around here with sour grapes cause guess wah, at the end of the day we are still Virgin Islanders,” Frett-Gregory said.
In the race for delegate to Congress, Sarauw received 4,913 votes to defeat former U.S. Attorney and St. Johnian Delia Smith, who garnered 3,007 votes. With the exception of Cruz Bay, Sarauw won every precinct in the territory. Teri Helenese received 799 votes, while former Senator Emmett Hansen finished with 493 votes.
In a message on her Facebook Stories, Smith wrote, “I congratulate Janelle Sarauw and her supporters on her victory and wish her well as she carries our party’s banner into November.”
On St. Croix, voters selected seven Democratic nominees from a field of 10 candidates for the district’s seats in the Legislature.
Senator Kurt Vialet led all candidates with 3,539 votes, followed by Senator Kenneth Gittens with 2,677, Senator Clifford Joseph with 2,445, Nemmy Williams-Jackson with 2,200, Lisa Charles with 2,026, and Senator Hubert Frederick with 2,013. Jose Gonzalez secured the seventh and final seat with 1,707 votes. Vialet and Gittens ran first and second, respectively, in all St. Croix precincts.
Lynda Brooks finished eighth with 1,548 votes. Dwight Mike Cartier received 625 votes, while Omar B.U. Henry received 515.
There are 280 absentee ballots to be counted on St. Croix. WTJX’s resident “numbers cruncher” former Senator Neville James, host of “Analyze This” on WTJX-FM, weighed in on the 159-vote differential between Brooks and Gonzalez.
“Brooks catching Gonzalez is mathematically possible, however, the likelihood of that happening is low given her receiving 31.1% of the votes already counted, which translates to her getting about 85 absentee votes if all of the ballots are returned and her percentages remain the same,” said James.
The St. Thomas/St. John Senate race produced the night’s closest contest.
Senator Avery Lewis topped the field with 2,724 votes, followed by Senator Marvin Blyden with 2,328, Senator Carla Joseph with 2,202, Rudel Hodge Jr. with 1,587, Shenelle Francis with 1,578, Senator Ray Fonseca with 1,486, and Joel Browne Connors with 1,393. Lewis, Blyden, and Joseph came in first, second, and third respectively at all St. Thomas precincts, while Blyden won the Cruz Bay precinct and Joseph won the Coral Bay precinct on St. John.
Peter Bailey received 1,389 votes, Kashief Hamilton received 1,327 votes, Mayard Leader received 1,279, Lawrence Boschulte received 1,089, and Michael Smith received 991.
James said the sixth through ninth place finishers are separated by 159 votes, the same as the seventh and eighth place differential on St. Croix with 372 absentee ballots yet to be counted.
“Connors and Bailey are in a virtual tie for seventh place being a mere four votes apart heading into the absentee ballot count with Hamilton having an outside shot of joining the battle for the final Democratic senatorial slot on the November general election ballot,” James said.
In the Board of Education races, sitting St. Croix board members Terrence Joseph and Winona Hendricks will advance to the general election with 1,767 and 1,657 votes, respectively. Christopher Jacobs Jr. received 1,223 votes, while Mojania Denis received 1,183.
In the St. Thomas/St. John District, sitting board member Judy Gomez led the Board of Education race with 2,303 votes, followed by sitting board member Arah Lockhart with 1,671. Both will advance to the general election. D’Vonte Xavier received 1,389 votes, while Michelle Cawthron received 557.
For the St. Thomas/St. John seats on the Board of Elections, Kevin Rodriguez received 1,759 votes and Barbara Petersen received 1,750 votes to advance to the general election. Atanya Springette, a current board member, narrowly missed advancing with 1,691 votes. However, with absentee ballots yet to be counted, this is a race to pay close attention to.
A primary was not necessary for the St. Croix Board of Elections race.
Election officials in both districts spent Saturday evening canvassing ballots and tabulating the unofficial results.
At the Elections System of the Virgin Islands office on St. Croix, Deputy Supervisor of Elections Terrell Alexandre led the canvassing process as Board of Elections members reviewed results from voting machines. Alexandre verified the security seals before closing the machines and printing the vote totals, which board members examined before a technician uploaded the machines’ thumb drives into the tabulation system.
The canvass took place in a private room with glass panels that allowed the public gathered in an adjacent conference room to observe the proceedings. A live video feed connected election offices on St. Croix and St. Thomas, enabling officials in both districts to monitor the canvass simultaneously.
Territory wide, 9,991 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary, with 17 blank ballots recorded. Voter turnout reached 47.75%, according to the Elections System of the Virgin Islands.
