Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the 2026 Democratic primary results coverage.

My name is Malina Ventura Douglas, your radio news reporter for the news feed on 93.1.

Joining me this evening is former chairman of the Board of Elections and the Joint Board of Elections, as well as former senator and Senate President Lucy Richards.

Good evening.

Good evening, Marcelina.

And a pleasant good evening to the viewing audience.

It is indeed a pleasure to be with you all this evening, and I look forward to a very interesting night in regards to our election results.

I look forward to the night as well.

Now we are coming to you live from the Election System office here on Saint Croix, and we'll be here throughout the evening.

Tracking every race on today's ballot and bringing you the results as their release.

Now, if you do hear any noise or anything in the background, some moving around, it is because there is activity coming in and out of the building as well too.

So bear with us as well.

But now the results won't come in all at once.

Ballots must first be transported from the voting centers to the election system offices, both on Saint Croix and on Saint Thomas, where they will be read and verified.

That process, of course, takes some time, but early voting results should come in first, and when we get them, we'll be sure to get them over to you.

While we wait though, let's we'll break down the races and take a closer look at what voters decided today.

Here are the candidates.

In each race, their names are shown exactly as printed on the official ballot, which limits each name to 22 characters, including spaces for governor and lieutenant governor.

Three teams are seeking the Democratic nomination.

Lieutenant Governor Roach and Senator Noble Francis, Junior, delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and Senate President Milton Potter, and former Senator Donna Fred Gregory and Rodney Morehead, delegate to Congress.

Four candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for delegate to the House of Representatives.

Former Senator Emmet Hanson, former U.S.

Attorney.

Delia Smith Terry, Helena's former Director of State federal relations and Washington Representative for the office of the governor and former Senator Janelle Sorrow.

We have 12 candidates on the ballot for the legislature of the Virgin Islands in the Saint Thomas Saint John district.

Voters may select no more than seven.

Kashif Hamilton, incumbent Carla Joseph, incumbent Marvin A Blyden Lawrence Larry Basalt Peter Bailey, incumbent Avery Lewis Chanel Fina Francis Michael A Smith.

Maillard, may leader Joel S Brown Connors, incumbent Ray Pupa Fonseca and Rudolph Hodge, Jr.

The Saint Croix District has ten candidates on the ballot for the legislature of the Virgin Islands.

Voters may select no more than seven as well.

Incumbent Hubert L Frederick.

Incumbent Clifford A, Joseph Dwight.

Mike Cartier Linda Nikki Brooks, incumbent Kurt Vila Jose Bessie Gonzalez, Lisa J. Charles Nemi, Williams Jackson, Omar Boo Henry and incumbent Kenneth Kenny Gittens, LC.

We have a number of incumbents on the ballot, both in the sink Roy and in the Saint Thomas district.

And we have some challengers as well too.

Can you tell us a little bit about some of the challengers, especially the new faces that we're seeing on the ballot this year?

Well, we do have a number of challenges in the Saint Thomas and John district.

In some instances, they're not all new faces, but one of the new faces in this particular case is a challenger is on.

Kashif Hamilton, a DJ known as DJ country, has worked in the legislature public affairs office.

We also have someone that has run for the office of senator before, Lawrence Larry Basalt, who campaigned for the legislature previously in 2014, 2020 and 2022 and has a 17 year background serving on the boards of elections.

You have a newcomer to the legislature race in the past, Mr.

Peter Bailey, the owner of a media company, a journalist, author and filmmaker.

In addition to these three, we have Chanel.

Francis, who has worked previously in the legislature, had previous campaigns in 2022 and 2024 and works in Department of Education.

You have a Michael, A Smith who also ran for the legislature previously, and he ran in 2024 works at the Virgin Islands Port Authority and also the Rafael O. Wheatley Skills Center.

You have a mayor.

May leader is a long term community advocate, a founder of our maze kitchen Hope for Haiti.

We have a Joel S Brown Connors, who also previously ran for the legislature in 2022, finishing fifth in the Democratic Party primary, lost in the general election.

Has worked in various fields from EMT, police officer, a rescue technician, farmer and also a Civil Air Patrol Commander and the last challenger and also a newcomer is rural.

A junior, he serves as a delegate to the Sixth Constitutional Convention, an attorney and secretary of the Family Resource Centers Board of directors.

Right now, some of the incumbents that we are seeing, Senator Carla Joseph, for instance, you know, she's seeking a fourth term in the legislature after serving in the 34, 35th and 36 legislature.

We also have Senator Marvin Blyden.

He's been somewhat of a frequent top runner ever so often when we've seen in the in these elections, he's running for his seventh term after serving in the 31st through the 36 legislatures.

Senator Avery Al Lewis, who is a freshman senator, former Saint Thomas Water Island administrator.

That's correct.

And then we also have Senator Ray, who is seeking a third term after serving in the 35th, a second term after serving in the 35th and the 36 legislatures.

So we have if all of the incumbents are successful in the primary, we'll have at least three possible new faces.

But if not, there could be somewhat of a shakeup.

Do you anticipate seeing a bit of a shake up in the Saint Thomas Saint John district this this year?

It'll be surprising if the foreign combatants who are in the Democratic Party primary in the district of Saint Thomas and John, do not make it out to the to the general election.

I say surprising because we realize that we have two independent members in the Saint Thomas and John district.

We have one of the incumbents running for a different office, office in government for lieutenant governor.

And given the challengers who have in fact, over the period of time, includes at least 2 or 3 persons that have ran previously.

I do not expect that the seat and the opportunity to represent the Democratic Party will be lost by any of the foreign incumbents, and so that we have 12 candidates for incumbent.

We have eight persons vying to get three of the party primary seats for the general elections.

Yes.

Well, I want to shift gears.

Let's bring it over to Saint Croix now.

And we do have some new challengers on the ballot as well, to speak to us a little bit about the challenges in the District of Saint Croix.

We have a gentleman by the name of Dwight Mike Cartier, who is a local business owner, a federal government subcontractor, worked for a senator previously in the legislature.

This is his first time running into public office, and also for her first time is on the Nikki Brook.

So, a longtime recording artist, a former calypso monarch and a manager of the Kings Hill Funeral Home, you have Bass Gonzalez, who is also a first time candidate, has been in law enforcement working at the Outer Correctional Facility Rehab Center and is well known throughout the community for the organization that he started and promotes over the past 30 years, which is the Positive Guidance Youth Club.

Lisa Jay Charles, who ran last time as an independent candidate this year, is running as a Democratic Party candidate.

She's worked in the Department of Human Services, specifically in senior citizen affairs.

Ophelia Nemi Williams Jackson is not a newcomer.

She ran previously in the Democratic primary.

She ran in 2000 2018, in 2022.

Background is in education, a former deputy Commissioner, housing, Parks and Recreation and then the last challenger in the district is on Oma bio.

Henry, who I've known to to work in the legislature as a chief of staff for the at large senator, has been his policy advisor and a long time employee of the Department of Education and more importantly, to him, and I suspect, to the members of the Democratic Party, he's been a long time advocate and participant in the political activities of the Democratic Party.

Now, similarly, in the Saint Croix District, we do have four incumbents Senator Hubert L Frederick, commonly known as Lorenzo, who is serving his freshman term right now, and he's seeking a second term.

He ran unsuccessfully for the legislature back in 2022 and for lieutenant governor alongside Melito Smith.

That's back in 2014 and 2018.

We also have Senator Clifford Joseph senior also served freshman senator seeking a second term.

Kurt Vile is seeking his seventh term after serving in the 31st through the 34th legislature, leaving to run for governor in 2022 and returning to the 36 Legislature as Saint Croix top vote getter.

And then we have Senator Kenneth Kenny Gittins, and he's seeking a seventh term for the legislature.

Now we have a, again, kind of going back wondering if that Saint Croix race is going to mirror that of Saint Thomas.

If you know any of if all four of the incumbents move forward in the in the primary, you know, those three new faces possible, three new faces that we'll see going forward into the general election.

I don't want to use it.

Excuse me.

The term, whether or not it would mirror the similar sentiments that I shared for the Saint Thomas and John district, what I think is important for the viewing audience and the public to recognize that this is a party primary we have for Democrats who have been loyal to the Democratic Party, has represented the party over a number of years in most instances, and then in two instances, they have only getting ready to complete their first term.

And so that I expect that the loyalty to the party will be rewarded in a primary election for, for the Democratic Party.

And so if that follows true, then we're talking about looking at the challenges.

And when we speak about the challenges, we have six of them who now will be vying for for three seats.

Now, the order in which the the candidates, based on the results of the night election will appear on the ballot.

That does that mean that the incumbents will run one, two, three, four?

This is true.

And and that.

Does that mean that none of the challengers can move up into the top three or the top four, but that is left for us to be able to see?

Yes.

When the results come in.

Yes.

And we're all talking.

We're I was talking about probability.

So is high probability that the incumbents will move forward.

But I guess I'm always one for for living for the drama and seeing if there's any shakeups but to be determined.

But moving on down to the ballot races, we have four candidates are seeking two seats in the Virgin Islands Board of Education, representing the Saint Croix District.

Mo Dennis, incumbent Terrence T Joseph Christopher Jacobs, junior and incumbent Winona A Hendricks in the Saint Thomas Saint John district.

Four candidates are also seeking two seats in the Virgin Islands.

Board of education.

Incumbent.

ERA.

ERA C Lockhart, Michelle M, Katherine DeVante J and incumbent Judi M Gomez.

I want to stick with the Board of Education right now.

We've seen some very familiar names, people who have served on the board for a number of years.

You know, these incumbents turn to Joseph, Winona Hendricks, Judy Gomez, era.

Lockhart.

I think it would be interesting, you know, if to if they were possibly unseated in the primary.

But, you know, I want to speak about the challengers based off of, you know, you've been paying attention through the campaign season, you know, do you think that the challengers made a strong effort to try and unseat the incumbents?

And that is an interest in observation, at least from where I said, we look at the the Board of Education and we start here in the District of Saint Croix, and you hear the names on Terrence T Joseph or Terrence Thomas Joseph on Winona Hendricks, who not only long term members of the Board of Education, but long term employees that work within the Department of Education.

The challenges are young individuals, and what concerns me that the race is only going to be left up to to name recognition, given the fact that we've gone through months since the filing deadline.

Months of campaign time and you haven't heard or seen and we won't be able to align name with faces, names with particular policies for for the younger candidates that haven't taken the opportunity to realize that it is a public office.

And if you're going to unseat one of these experienced, long term members of the Board of Education, and the same would apply in the District of Saint Thomas and John, it requires you to to get out there the pavement, similar to what senatorial candidates are doing.

The delegate to Congress, candidates are doing what the the the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor are doing.

And in some instances and probably from from the old school, people will say that they've been making this sort of approach on social media.

What is Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, whatever it is.

And and we will discuss later.

Yes, the category and the age grouping of the largest number of people that are actually going out to vote.

And so if you're not reaching the largest numbers of voters, then you risk the chance of not being successful.

You know, I had the opportunity I did meet with dig at a opportunity to meet both Dennis and Christopher Jacobs junior, both very young in their early 20s.

And, you know, they seem very, you know, determined.

But but like you say, you know, you didn't necessarily hear from them and you spoke a little bit about that generation, somewhat of a generation gap.

You don't do the TikToks and the, you know, you I don't do the TikTok either.

But, you know, I saw them on Facebook, I saw them in some of the forums that they that they had in the community as well to.

But, you know, in the campaign process, I'm wondering, you know, as one of the part of the older generation, you know, you didn't hear necessarily from them.

And, you know, as we talk about who is actually going out to vote if they miss that mark.

Yeah.

And what was interesting, like you spoke of the, the names of the, the two young persons that are running for the Board of Education and the classic example of that, at least in my mind, I had an opportunity to meet one of the two in a bar stool conversation.

He introduced himself.

He says that he's running for the Board of Education.

But if you ask me tonight which one of the two persons I met, I can now put a name to the face of the person that I met that introduced themselves to me and said, I'm running for the Board of Education.

Yeah.

And so there's no stick to it that would allow you to be able to have not only name recognition, but a understanding of their intent and what they can be able to contribute, representing the people, the students and the parents on the subject matter of education.

Yeah, I think that sentiment can also go for the challengers in the Saint Thomas district as well, to kind of not necessarily hearing or seeing much of their campaign.

But I do want to move on to the Board of Elections.

We have three Democratic candidates that are seeking two seats.

We have Kevin Rodriguez and Barbara A Peterson, an incumbent at Tanya s spring ET.

There is no primary for the Saint John seat on the Board of Elections, and no primary for the two Saint Croix seats on the Board of Elections.

So, you know, three Democratic candidates, two seats, one incumbent, you know, see, what is that?

You know, I know you notice you generated a smile on my face in regards to the Board of Elections race in the district of Saint Thomas and John, you have a government House operative in this particular instance, a deputy chief of staff.

Yes.

Mr.

Rodriguez, the governor.

They took the head as we speak today of the Democratic Party.

You have Barbara Peterson, who have served in the capacity as an administrator.

Saint Thomas, Water Island administrator, sergeant and appointed position within the current executive branch and under the leadership of the of the governor.

And since we are focusing on the Democratic Party primary, I'm making these observations under the impression that that they will have a long reach and a lot of support within the structure of the party to be the two individuals that would come out of a party primary, to move on to the general election for the Board of Elections.

Yeah.

Now I want to go back to we were talking about campaigning, you know, and we know for the gubernatorial race, we have been inundated with the candidates that have been campaigning and trying to earn voters vote, you know, but speaking about those who are running for the boards of education, the Board of Elections, maybe even some of the senators, our candidates doing enough to earn voter support.

It depends on the approach and the understanding that the candidates have, because you and I can say that they have not been doing sufficient or as much outreach that is necessary.

Now, one of the things and people used to laugh when I share this observation with them, I said, well, tonight at 7 p.m., which has already passed, the Democratic Party primary is over.

And so when we speak of the subject matter of visibility, if all those signs that we see on the side of the road were voters and could get up and move to the pool and praise, and what are they going to kind of get whether they're going down to Saint Joseph, whether they're going to Marco, then we would expect a large turnout and a lot of votes.

But the visibility does not guarantee that you could move the populace.

You could make the voters interested in going out to the polling place.

And so that outside of the visibility that you could have on pop up on social media, that you could have pop up on the side of the road with signage outside of the visibility that you may have on television ads, outside of the visibility that comes with radio ads, it requires you taking the opportunity to be in forum and places where the voters can feel, can touch, can hear and understand the interest that you have in representing them.

And so that is something I think needs to definitely improve.

When I was involved in politics, we made it a point to to try to go door to door in every community.

Yes, I know today people are scared to to go into certain neighborhoods, but we took that opportunity because if you're going to ask for yes, you're go into the neighborhoods where your constituents have to live every day of their life.

I think it's about being creative as well to even if it's like, you know, if you're having maybe community meetings, if you don't want to go door to door, maybe you have neighbors come together where you can go and you can meet neighbors all collectively and answer questions.

I think it's just about being creative.

And I'm I guess my hope is that candidates or independent candidates and maybe some of the shortcomings that we're talking about this evening, candidates kind of learn from that to then, you know, how they're going to adjust in the head of the November elections.

That's an important observation that you mentioned, because there are some candidates that you identify particular name neighborhoods.

We know that Marcelina live in this particular neighborhood, and we asked her to organize an event where her neighbors could come over and so that instead of having to just pass by a door, shake a hand, or if they're not home, leave a pamphlet or leave some sort of flier, you're able to bring them to to one location where you have an opportunity for interaction.

And that tool is very impactful in comparison to having an opportunity to touch and to feel the constituents that you would like to represent.

Yeah.

You know, I want to speak about some of the younger candidates as well to that we've been that we're seeing on a ballot, kind of going back to the Dennis and and the like.

And even in this in the Senate race, Rudolph had one of the younger candidates as well to seeking office.

You know, do you think that there is some sort of maybe some sort of a political training that the younger generation maybe need to get into before seeking public office?

For me to answer yes to that question will leave the impression that because you're young, that you're not capable in a student office at a young age.

What I would say that is important for individuals that seeking an opportunity to to move on to the one of the largest forums in regards to an entry level in politics in the Virgin Islands, is that you should have the opportunity to have been engaged and participate in structural organizations, organizations that are established that works towards particular goal, that has the opportunity to to interact and give you also a opportunity to learn and understand how you best deal with groups of people, because it is exactly what it is.

I mean, you can't expect, once you've had the experience of a group of people that you would always have your way, or that your will will always be what will happen, but you understand that it requires some give and take.

Yes, exchange and more importantly, the patience to tolerate and understand different opinions.

Because if you can't do that, then you will find yourself in a difficult position in a elected body.

What is the Board of board education or the legislature?

I want to shift gears to early voting.

You know, we speaking about the age groups.

We're speaking about, you know, just kind of engagements.

One of the things that we did see with early voting this year was a large increase in voters between the ages of 18 to 44.

So back in 2022, early voters accounted for 297 of, you know, registered voters who came out to vote in the Democratic primary versus this year.

You had a 659, so a 121.9% increase.

And then, you know, in the within the 45 to 64 age group.

You know, 997 back in 2022 versus 1145 this year, you know, seeing a 44.9% increase.

And then the 65 and older 837 voting in 2022 versus, you know, 1357 this year, 62.1% increase.

So we saw a large number of people, you know, turn out to early this year.

Why do you think that was.

Well, the first observation I would make in regards to the turnout and the increase is that in this particular Democratic Party primary for the governor race, there's no incumbent.

And so we have three newcomers that are running for the office of governor and lieutenant governor, despite the fact that one of them running for governor is the lieutenant governor.

And that has created, I believe, appropriate word is it is some stimulus, some interest in the in the campaigning, in the individuals that are the political operatives of these three candidates who are running.

And also, I've had the opportunity to to observe and to be present at at rallies for each one of the three who are running in the Democratic primary and, and noted that there was an increased number of young people wearing t shirts.

Now, the fact that you're wearing a t shirt doesn't mean that you're going to vote, but I was of declaring pression based on how I see them behave.

And they participation at these events hosted by these candidates that are that they intend to to make their voice be heard and to participate.

And then the one constant which I think that a lot of times that that people don't acknowledge.

And when I was speaking about the social media communication, the largest number of persons who are going out to vote are 65 and over.

Yes, and not individuals who are likely and a daily basis engage in a Facebook, LinkedIn and so that those people are constant.

And this is why it's important to make sure that although you represent a young age group, that you'll be able to reach out to all of these age groups in understanding what you stand for in the pursuit of public office.

I think, though, that the increase that we saw in campaigning on social media across those areas, I think that definitely accounted for that, that increase in that turnout, in that in the younger voters as well, too.

So it's now about candidates finding that sweet spot where they're still, you know, appealing to the older generation now, also appealing to the younger generation to kind of get them out and continue to vote as well to now, if I may, and I don't want to leave the impression that person 65 and over do not, do not engage and have participate in the social media activities like Facebook.

Yeah, I'm sure that there's a large percentage of them that do.

And then more importantly, almost everyone, irrespective of your age, have a cell phone.

And when you when you get any cell phone and we don't buy newspapers no more.

So if we read a juice article on your phone, you also have advertisement come up and then you have the electronic news entities that people go to vote, one in Simcoe and one in Saint Thomas.

And so yes, that is very important.

Yes.

Now, early voting, we saw in total about 7000 Democrats come out to vote as of today.

Right now, to total turnout in today's primary, we saw 2885 voters turnout.

So definitely the majority coming from early voting as well to.

You know, see, see.

But there's also a historical perspective to to the early voting on.

And I'm glad that the the legislature in the past made some changes.

If you can recall in the past, the first choose in September used to be primary day.

It was a public holiday, okay.

It caused the government money for that holiday.

The children were out of schools and so that they changed of getting rid of primary election as a public holiday and the changes of early common filing dates and the changes of moving primary up to August became beneficial.

With the implementation of these early voting opportunities.

And one of the the when they first decided that we have primary elections on Saturdays.

The other thing is that there was a complaints for religious reasons, like people who were seven day Adventists.

Yes, will not be able to participate.

And so that they put in these opportunities to cast your vote outside of today, Saturday, August 1st, you had already voting, and it appears that a large percentage of the voters in the Democratic Party primary have decided that they are going to make maximum use of early voting, and so that when Saturday come, I could go do me a washing and avoid.

In some instances, people don't like to be in the crowd, in the crowd and be being being pursued while they're on their way to to the pool.

Give me give my a vote.

They don't say, hand out the numbers.

This my number back and it is the ones I give you a name.

It does give you a number.

Yeah.

This is my number is 12.

Just remember 12.

You don't have to remember my name.

Yeah.

I think one of the interesting things as well too for early voting this year in 2022, you had 15 early voting days territory wide compared to this year, where you had only ten early voting days, but still surpassing that even and only seven early voting days on Saint John.

So just the numbers have have definitely been interesting.

I think people were a bit motivated this year as well.

So I think definitely, definitely.

And as you pointed out, with the the reduction in the number of days in 2026 as compared to 2022 did not make a difference.

People just needed to know when it's available, what days, what time, and people take the opportunity to go out and cast their vote in a imagine.

And one of the things that concerns me, I don't mean to put you in this position, is when we get the supervisor of elections to to come on here and join us, I would like to know how much did it cost?

Yes.

How much did the government had to pay for the conduct of a political party primary in this case, the Democrats?

Yes, we know we had early voters.

That's a little over 7000 as of 6:00.

We could add another 2500 on that and let's just call it 10,000 people voted in a primary election that probably cost 25, 30, 35, $40,000.

Yes.

That is how much dollar for voter that cost us, and only for a select few a registered voters.

Only people who are registered Democrats had the opportunity to vote in election where the government is paying for it.

And I think that's the perfect segue for you and I to talk about, you know, whether or not, you know, there needs to be a change if the government is going to foot the bill for this election, for a primary, for the Democratic primary, whether or not this should be an open primary.

I mean, you are not a registered Democrat.

I am a registered Democrat.

So I voted today, you know, but just in fairness, if my tax dollar is going to be used to pay for this primary, I feel like you should have been able to vote as well too, because your tax dollars also went towards it.

That's correct.

And I was instrumental in introducing the legislation that ended up appearing before the US District Court judge that attempted to to, to to mandate political parties.

To conduct their own primary.

And it beholds me that when the the Republican Party of the United States have the national convention, when the Democratic Party of the United States have their national convention, the Republicans and Democrats in the Virgin Islands territory wide, they conduct an election and election to determine whether or not Marcelina will be one of the delegates elected to go to the convention of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party to cast a vote for their presidential nominee.

And so if they're capable of organizing a voting process for convention delegates to attend a convention where the only place, particularly those of us from the United States, Puerto Rico and these other territories, who is the only place that they could set the cast a vote for president, because after the convention done, they don't vote for president nowhere else.

Yes.

And if they could organize conventions in the past, political parties did this Democratic Party, Republican parties, they had had a convention at a particular place.

They organize registered Democrats comes in, identify themselves, show their card carrying members of the party, and they cast a vote for the candidates, senators and individuals running for the office of governor and lieutenant governor.

You know, if if, if this continues, I mean, well, let me ask you see, is there any possibility that you're going to be changing any type of parties to become a Democrat, to vote in a primary?

I'm just trying to I'm calling you a leg at this point and you're not pulling my leg.

You bring me back to the point of answering the initial question that you had.

Yes.

Which is if, in fact, the government continues to pay for party primaries.

Yes.

Just like in a lot of jurisdictions on the mainland, they have what they call open primaries, like in the state of Georgia.

Today's primary day, you could go up your red set voter and there's a table.

When you get to the table, you could tell them, could you give me a Republican ballot?

May I have a Democratic ballot?

You can insert pick which one of the ballots them you want because the primaries are open.

But these primaries should be open.

And if so, all you have to do on today's primary election is prove that you are, in fact, a registered voter and go in and cast a vote.

Now, people in the political parties will not like to hear that because and I understand their sentiments.

It'll be I'll be uncomfortable to be a member of a Democratic party, to be a Democratic Party candidate, and feel comfortable that independence as Republicans vote in my primary to tell me who's going to represent my party.

But we're only saying this because we are paying for your primary primary.

And so this is why the concern arises to the tune of $250,000, which is what the election system budgeted.

They budgeted about $250,000 for the primary paid for by the government.

So, you know, I also question if they're don't do that.

You have the the viewers at home jumping off the couch.

Out of the seats.

Because I was being nice, I was talking I was saying that the primary you were saying both 4050, 50,000, but because you're saying inflation, $250,000 for that is that resulted in.

Almost, if not less than 10,000 out of 37,000 registered Democrats going out to vote.

Yes.

So I can do the math so quickly in my head.

But how much Dallas voted that cast of you?

Speaking of the figure of 250,000, I'm not the mathematician in my family.

But, you know, I also question whether or not there are residents who just in order to feel like they're they're getting the most bang for their buck in a vote that they're registering as Democrats solely to be able to participate in a primary.

Since the government has been funding it where they're not truly they may not truly be Democrats.

They may want to be no party.

They may want to be independent.

But you're registering as a Democrat so that you can, you know, have a say.

You're trying to poke the pig.

And I think we have to wait until the state chair come, comes here and join us again.

I understand this invitation, but I will at least add some commentary to your concern.

Now, one of the things that we must acknowledge also in what we expected from the outside, look at the gubernatorial race.

We look at this senatorial race and the Democratic Party that they were able to, to bring an interest to individuals who support them, who may not have been registered Democrats, but who may have been registered voters to change their voter registration, to give the type of support to the candidate that they are reverend in and the one that they would like to see win.

And so that they rested Democrats so they could be able to vote in a primary where they vote early vote, or whether they voted today.

So that that is also important aspects.

And these candidacies do, in fact generate additional registered members of a political party.

And I think when we get the state chair here, I'm going to ask her one of the questions.

Why don't you give me the opportunity?

There's a distinct difference between being a registered Democrat and a card carrying member of the Democratic Party.

And so that that doesn't mean because you're a Democrat, you're one aligned with these principles, this philosophy.

Very much so.

And his beliefs.

But I think that that that's a distinction with a great difference.

It is very much so.

You know, I want to shift a little bit of gears now, you know, go to some of the things that we've been seeing just this campaign season.

Let's talk a little bit about campaign endorsements.

Now.

We've seen a number of campaign endorsements, some big some big endorsements as well to let's start specifically with the Roache Francis endorsements.

We saw former delegate to Congress Donna Christensen endorsing the Roach Francis team, as well as Governor Albert Brian Jr.

You know, and those comments that, you know, residents saw with him saying he sees the team as a continuation of the administration and the work that they have been doing.

You know, do you think that that hurt or helped the Roach Francis team in any way?

The the governor's endorsement, the governor's endorsement and the comments of seeing it as a continuation of the Brian Roach administration?

I may be a little prejudicial in my response because my my response is going to be embedded in the fact is, how do we perceive the current administration over the past eight years?

And given one's perception, what is the rendering of services, whether it's in fact it's opportunity to to meet the expectations of the community?

I think the results of today's primary is going to speak loudly to the fact of whether or not a continuation of the current administration is something that is endorsed and approved by the voters of the governor's Democratic Party, and it will also speak to the fact of whether or not it is not an endorsement of the governor's Democratic Party when he endorses the candidacy of his lieutenant governor and his running mate, and make reference to it as a as a continuance, that when I heard that I was just strictly thought of continuum care.

And if you're going to refer to of a continuance, I think that it doesn't give the the leeway that Lieutenant Governor Roach and his running mate, Novell Francis, trying to to make the presentation, because this harness has already been strapped around their necks to say to them, hey, you can't tell me now that you're going to be doing something different when you've been part of an administration for for eight years or now, that's that's a terrible position for the lieutenant governor and Senator Francis to be in, to try to make that clear to the to the voting populace in the Democratic Party primary.

Yeah.

Now I want to continue our conversation.

But right now we do have the supervisor of elections, Miss Carolyn Fox, joining us here on the set.

Miss Fox, how are you doing today?

Good evening.

Good evening.

I'm doing well.

Thank you for asking and I'm glad to be here.

Miss Hawks tell us, you know, what are we seeing right now?

When do you think we're going to get?

See some numbers coming out?

Well, right now two of the early voting machine has completed tabulating.

So now you got to understand that those machines were not tabulated.

So it takes a few minutes for the votes to tabulate.

And we have over 7000 votes.

So both district just finished one machine.

And there's one more to do.

Once that ablation is done, the early voting results will be handed out.

And as soon as the voting centers come in, then we start rolling out those numbers.

So we should be getting that within maybe the next 15 minutes or so.

Okay.

All right.

Now from an administrative standpoint, how would you assess today's election?

Today's election was slow to me.

Started out slow.

No way that I went.

I saw a line I started in Saint Thomas and Saint John, and usually on primary election day, you do see people line up to vote.

There were some comments about persons shopping for school.

We opened in August, so I don't know next week, but I am happy that early voting did well.

So our goal is to push early voting well.

I've already did 34%, and the numbers that I just got for 7:00 is 14%.

So for a primary election, it's average, right?

34 and 14 is about right for the Premier.

We're looking at 2022 numbers.

So you usually will get more for the general election.

Primary election.

If you get 40% that's a good turnout okay.

And we close to that.

All right.

We'll see.

Thank you.

Marcelina and supervisor on Fox.

I did mention before you you found yourself in a hot seat that I do have a couple of questions for you and none that you are in fact responsible for, but I think you are responsible for letting us in the community know exactly what the real status is.

So how much did it cost for the conduct of this primary election?

You have early voting you had to have on three.

I'm just going to give a little description, not just for you, but for for the audience.

Yeah.

Tree voting centers on Saint Croix three and Saint Thomas two.

Once in Jan and then the preparation, the manpower.

Because each one of the judges and the clerks that appear at each one of these voting centers have to be paid a stipend to be there, how much money did you set aside in your planning for the primary?

And then if you could tell us about how much, in your estimation that actually costs for the primary and ends this evening?

Well, we were allotted $275,000, right?

It used to be 250,000 for many years.

So 275 is adequate with the cost of living.

Again, it's not just the election officials we have to pay transportation company catering.

And out of that funding also takes the ballots, right.

All the costs of the election.

So it's not just the election official.

I think it's reasonable.

I will do an average just for today.

So I could give you that number I don't have just for today.

It's easier to do that early voting.

You're paying for them for those five days.

They can't leave there.

So you're catering for them.

And the transportation I took to get the machines.

And then Saint John, you have to put it up on the ferry and get it up there.

So there is a cost with all that we do.

But it was 275 for the general election.

We allotted $450,000.

So we already got that because we can't wait till October when the fiscal year is start to get the funding.

We have to start preparing from now.

So we got the funding in this year and if there is a runoff, they will do that budget in the 2028 budget 27, 27, 28, 27 budget.

And it's usually about 350,000.

They go a little less than the 450,000.

We've done it twice.

I've done it twice.

So I'm preparing a candidate, but it's 350,000.

So that would be the funding that we need.

So again, we were getting 250 from 2012 to now.

So 275 is reasonable because like I said, cars are living for the catering went up, everything went up.

So yeah.

And Marcelina, this is just my final question to the supervisor.

I made an inquiry of you not to have you feel that you are responsible for clarifying what it costs.

I am making this inquiry in regards to the cost that we as taxpayers and government is paying for this one party to conduct a primary.

Can you tell us if you if you do know that the legislation and the the confusion that it had in its implementation that required political parties to conduct their own party primaries?

What was the legal snafu in that or what what needs to be done by the legislature?

Because I don't know what your position is on open primaries.

Open primaries means that all of us who raised the vote could come in.

You're familiar with the term come in and vote in a party primary, whether or not we're Democrat or not.

The question is more for the board, right.

Because the supervisor.

Right.

So whatever they past, I'm going to follow.

But the Democratic Party issue that we had legally is because the law is still a lot.

Right?

So the law still says the election system conduct the primary.

So unless they change the law, we have to do it now.

The Republicans and the in the CM, they are for carcass or whatever they do.

Right.

So they don't have the seven that requires it, I think.

And everybody thinks that the party feel that when they can't do it well, functionally, fairly or whatever the situations are.

So they want the government entity to do that position for them.

The primary process is really a nominating process.

It's called a primary election, but it's really a nomination process.

And so that's where it became back and forth a legal battle.

But again, the law and what was passed.

We conducted the primary.

We do primary just happened to be for the Democrats, but we do primary elections.

And then we'll do the general election for the total.

Okay.

Now, based on today's experience, did you, I guess, what would improvements are there any improvements that you'd like to make or see ahead of November?

We don't have much because we make improvements from the last election to know.

So what we did, we executed today, I would, like I say, visited the polling sites.

We did have some issues with some of the machine, just one pushing in the paper.

I think it was humid.

Saint Thomas office is humid, so we look at maybe leaving the air conditioner on all the time during the year.

And like Saint Croix, which is a condition, but other than that, we have voting technician at every voting site.

So they jumped on it and they corrected the problem.

So no one was disenfranchized.

And like I said, slow.

The flow was very slow.

But all the election officials are trained and experience and so they do a great job.

Okay.

Now give us some of the key key dates and deadlines and stuff that voters should keep in mind as we move forward towards the general election.

For us, the big day will be certification, which is next August 11th.

So five every ten days after this election.

And then the next big date for the public is Argus 25th US two casting a lot.

That's when you get the numbers for all of the independence.

Now that was sitting and waiting for after the primary election.

So that's on the 25th open to the public, 530 in person.

And then the board is going to conduct an addition the 6th of August.

So that's something new.

And they will be having a meeting on that in a couple of days.

And then September 8th, first day for receipt for absentee ballots.

So the process continues.

We don't take a break.

So we continue from tonight to tomorrow.

We start preparing for the next election.

We're prepared.

We'll be pulling up more equipment.

We'll be opening more voting centers.

Right.

So for the general, we go to five voting centers, right.

For fear maybe for unseen Thomas at the same two in Saint John.

But we have to expand because it's general election.

Early voting.

I know I heard you talking about the number of days.

So we look at the number of days based on what's going on or whatever.

We add this to subtract this.

We look at historical data also and or early voting.

Statistical report is on the website from 2014 to present.

I know there was an article about Saint John.

We know Saint John historically, and we're not going to expend taxpayers money to open Saint John for the number of days that we open.

Saint Thomas and Saint Croix 5000 voters, Saint John have 139.

It's not valued.

So we've been doing this for over ten years.

And so we know that it's historic data that we did not open Saint John for the number of days at Saint Croix and Saint Thomas we found this year.

Also, Thomas didn't do as much.

Usually.

Saint Thomas is always ahead with early voting.

Yes, right.

Saint Croix, this thing was ahead with early voting.

We had two days that we tapped 500 the last day and the first day 509 and 530 something.

And Saint Thomas hasn't top 500.

So it's been good.

Like I said, we push early voting if customer service from the staff we experienced.

So we love the early voting.

And so we continue to push that.

So we have zero people come in and Election Day, right.

We could save money that way.

Yes.

And have just one, one, one statistics that we weren't we did not inquire of you about about how many absentee ballots I have.

That will be next time you a question I know coming with for the primary because yeah yeah I know you know the primary.

But I'm asking because when you come back and you give our Marcelina and I results and we're talking about the standings of the candidates, and someone may be ahead of someone by 10 or 20 votes.

And absentee ballots are really matter.

So how many you sent out and then when is the board?

Is the board is who comes the balance?

When are they expected to to begin counting absentee ballots or a question?

If you want us to say for when?

No, I have a question.

I have the answer.

That's nice.

So Saint Croix has done great this year.

They have 280 absentee ballot applications to date.

We received 217.

Wow.

Because people were allowed to request Mail-In walking.

Exactly.

They don't need a reason.

Email you cover for the military.

We didn't have much military.

We had like two on Saint Croix.

So that's it.

And we have some email now.

Email they have to waive the right because the person, the one person, the only person Marie Felix, Miss Mary Felix, I miss Vincent in Saint Thomas who has been around since O.C.

time.

They had only one that see the absentee ballot because once the absentee ballot is printed, after the board looks at it, it's a zero paper.

So then they have to remake that ballot to feed it into the DDS 200.

Every ballot goes into the DS 200.

So they do duplicate.

Somebody reads out the vote and somebody copies it on a ballot form and they check it, duplicate and duplicate it.

And we've been doing this since 2014 and it's fed into the ballot.

So that's Saint Croix numbers.

Saint Thomas has always been more with absentee ballot.

So they have over 372 absentee ballots out and they haven't maybe 103 that came back.

So the ballots are coming back.

We encourage folks to vote when soon as they get the ballots, they have until August 10th to get them back.

But we encourage them, as you see what's going on in the States with Trump and absentee ballot the mail, we don't control the mail, so we want them to make sure they put it in the mail and send it back as soon as possible.

And you do it based off of the the date that's posted on the what we don't need post data.

Well, I don't require post date.

So by the post office sometimes stamp them and they work well with us.

If the box is getting full, they'll even call us and say come today because it's full of that.

So we pick up 5:00 on the last day and that's the absentee that's counted.

The board plans to start and Monday, Monday because they want to get started.

And usually they do three terms maybe first, middle and end.

So they're going to start on Monday.

Okay.

And just for clarity in your response to Marcelina, I know in the past the law has saying that they had to have been a post office stamped no later than the day of the election, but you're saying that is no longer required.

But is there a time frame after the election that the ballot must arrive?

Because suppose the ballot arrived 15 days after the election is is there you have ten days, ten, ten days only after the ten days.

So the audience is clear that you have up to ten days after the election.

So any ballot that is arrive after the 11 or after day, ten, arrive at 11 to 12 days after will not be counted.

Okay.

All right.

But preserved.

Preserved is preserved for two years.

Okay.

All right.

So anything else that you like that you think is important to say to voters this evening?

Well, I just like to thank all the agencies that work with us and the voters that came out and participated, all the election officials that we hire.

And I'll immediately covered all the events that we had.

I know we had to make a last minute chase with Saint Joseph Day before, because Central High School told us that the AC is not working, and we want to make sure official and voters are comfortable when they're coming in.

We do exit surveys, so we encourage the force.

If you miss the survey, you could still go online and do the exit survey.

So I thank you and thank channel 12 all the time for embedded with us and providing the information to the public.

All right.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you Lucy.

Yeah.

And I think at least I'm appreciative that we have the opportunity to to have the supervisor of elections join us.

And it wasn't brief.

It was it was in depth.

Yes.

And I think the subject matter information that's been shared with the viewing public and the public at large and in general, is is very important.

Yes.

And and as I told the supervisor, I am not questioning the cost for the election system to, to to conduct these party primaries.

What a question is, is it the cost to the government?

Yes.

275 so 275 and 250 and so we will probably hear from your next guest, a much of a sour that we get our next guest, how much of a savings we may be having and what on that day might be able to return some of that to the, to the coffers of the government of the Virgin Islands?

Yes.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Miss Burke.

Good evening.

Good evening, Marcelina, and good evening.

Lucy.

That's how I going to call you to call me.

Whatever you are.

The only thing is what I respond to.

Call me whatever you want.

Mr.

Ventura, Douglas, joining us right now is the Democratic state chair, miss Carol Burke.

How are you this evening?

Tired.

Tired, but so encouraged.

So encouraged.

Good.

Now you know we want to.

We were talking about the cost of the primary, so we're just going to jump right into it, you know?

And you know, whether or not Lucy and I were having the discussion as to whether or not, you know, because taxpayer dollars went towards putting on the Democratic primary, whether or not it should have been an open primary for the Virgin Islands, you no response.

Your response was so funny that Mr.

Richards, who he's not affiliated with any party whatsoever, is so concerned I the that when I see you guys had a an election when last have the ICM party vetted candidates to come and participate in Virgin Islands elections and the fact that public funds are utilized for primary election is not for the Democratic primary election per se.

It's for any primary election.

It just happened that the party, the Democratic Party, is the only party that has a primary election.

So tell me, if Democrats are not taxpayers too.

Well, I, I want to go ahead.

I was I was I was going to tell you misunderstood Marcellinus inquiry.

Okay.

They and I'm still icma and I quite familiar with the subject matter of political party primaries, which is actually a nomination process.

The the question that.

Miss Ventura Douglas was asking, and this happened in a number of jurisdiction in the states that whether or not they should have open primary, open primary, let's say, in the state of Georgia.

If you go up and you're rested voter, you could go there and and so she's asking, what is your feeling as the state chair of the party about open primaries, given the fact, since the government of the islands is financing primaries, whether or not it's just Democrats or whether or not is Democrats, Republican ICM chair, and having feel the question amongst the members, we enjoy having a close primary.

Okay.

And that's basically a position of the party.

No, if I may, I did have a couple of questions that I wanted to to share with you to see if you might be able to to help help our viewers and listeners out prior to the conduct of the Democratic Party primary by the election system of the Virgin Islands, you had, on behalf of the Territorial Committee, had made announcement about a process that you all had put in place for individuals to be, if I hope I use the term correctly, certified as a qualified candidates by the party to appear on the ballot.

Could you just tell us what that process is, what it meant, and so that those of us, whether we're Democrats or not, have a understanding from the state chair about the process and what was it it tended to achieve?

So, honestly, the 2024 ruling by Judge Judge Malloy, I was a empathize for that.

We as party leaders, and I've been in a leadership role with this party well over 20 years, and we knew that what we were doing just in the field.

Right.

And we knew from our affiliation with the National Party that it wasn't right.

And we did our research as well.

And we realized that most of the states do certify their candidates, and they do set standards by which they're required to meet.

And, you know, most of the standards, which was four of them that we established, all of our candidates, for the most part, met them because two of the four was already in place.

We've never just not put a plan together.

This is the first time we decided to sit down, put a plan together and put our infrastructure in place to make sure that the standards were met and certain other requirements were met by candidates before we were able to certify them to the Supervisor of Elections.

Is it possible you could you could share the four standards with us?

Sure.

You really tested my my memory.

No, I don't know.

Because before.

Before you say respond, I'm asking that because we hear all these different things in public forums where there's so people on the street, like they say, you all have a loyal a loyalty statement that candidates.

I don't know, but that's what they say.

So if you're going to just tell us what the standards are, yeah, it's important to have the top of my head.

I remember I can tell you what, three of them are in good standing.

I remember in good standing, meaning that you pay your membership dues, that you don't have any outside.

Outstanding.

Miss.

Miss Burke, I do want to interrupt you right now, because we do have some early voting numbers that have come in, and we'll come back to you.

Okay?

Now, we do have some, some, some numbers.

Now for the delegates to the House of Representatives, we have Janelle Saro with 3548 votes, Delia Smith with 2141 votes, Terry Helen's with 556 votes.

Emmet Hanson 356, a total of 15 write ins, for a total votes cast of 6616.

In the Governor and Lieutenant Governor race, we have Stacey Plaskett and Milton Potter with 3169 votes and Nova Francis with 2253, Donna Gregory and Rodney Morehead with 1393, and a total of 20 write ins, for a total votes cast of 6835 for the legislature of the Virgin Islands.

In the Saint Croix District, we have current Bla with 2495, Kenneth Gittens with 1929, Clifford Joseph with 1735, Nemi Williams Jackson with 1560, Lisa J. Charles with 1444.

Hubbard L Frederick with 1434 Jose Gonzalez 1141.

Linda Nikki Brooks 1066.

Dwight M Cartier 460.

Omar Boo Henry 359.

A total number of ridings at 92 for total votes cast of 13,715.

In the Saint Thomas Saint John district, we have a real Lewis with 2053 votes.

Marvin Blyden 1696.

Carla Joseph 1604.

Rudolph Hodge Jr 1135.

Chanel Francis 1104.

Ray Papa Fonseka 1059.

Joel S Brown Connors 1022.

Peter Bailey 989.

Kashif Hamilton 959.

Maillard.

May leader 900.

Lawrence.

Larry Basalt 795.

Michael Smith 688.

Total number of write ins 550 575.

Excuse me for total votes cast of 14,579 for the Board of Education in the Saint Croix District.

Winona Hendrix 1254.

Terrance T Joseph 1252.

Christopher Jacobs, Jr 891.

Modernist 857.

For write in totals 18 for a total votes cast of 4272.

In the Saint Thomas Saint John district, Judy Gomez with 1710.

RC Lockhart 1257.

DeVante Xavier 1007 votes and Michelle Catherine eight 380 for total write ins, 29 for total votes cast 4383 and lastly, Board of Elections in the Saint Thomas Saint John District.

Kevin Rodriguez 1301, Barbara Peterson, 1293 and Italia Spring at 1231 55.

Write in totals for a total number of votes cast of 3880.

And that's a very interested numbers.

And the one point, I think, in case they missed it, you are sharing for the viewers and those that are listening.

Early voting, early voting numbers, numbers.

This has nothing to do with votes that was cast today, October 1st Saturday.

These are the numbers August 1st that individuals.

I'm sorry what I said.

You said October.

October.

Having a senior moment today, August 1st, a Saturday primary elections.

And so I think that we would go back over and share these numbers again.

But I think we should provide the opportunity, if it's okay with you for the state chair to share with us.

Before you say you remember three.

Yeah, you can share the three of them with us.

And then I only had one more follow up question.

No worries.

All right.

Yeah.

And then the other one outside of a membrane.

Good standing.

The other one is a loyalty.

Pledger.

You alluded to Mr.

Richards and that basically it says that once you come out of the primary election, you participate in a coordinated campaign that is spearheaded by the party.

That's something that we did before.

And some of them have signed those pledge, that pledge before.

And then finally there was a filing fee, a nominal filing fee to be able to run under the party's banner.

Yeah, the one that I had some interested in some interest in, because you hear people say things and I respond and I say to them, you know, I really can't speak of it because I don't know.

And I'm not going to speak of something that I can't speak of intelligently.

And the one with the loyalty pledge.

Well, when we speak about the loyalty pledge, you know, I just want to take a look at the numbers that we have here on the screen.

We have Janelle Caro 3548, reminding voters, these are the early voting numbers that we are seeing right now.

Delia Smith 2141.

Terry Helen's 556.

And Emmitt Hansen, 356.

Now, all four of these candidates, Miss Burke, you're seeing took the loyalty pledge.

Yes.

They did.

Okay, so if Miss Sorrow continues to lead the race, what you're saying to us this evening is that the other three candidates would have to, you know, kind of throw their support behind Massaro.

Is that what you're telling us?

No, they're not the nominee.

She will be the nominee.

Okay.

Only the people that come out of the primary election and move on to the general election are compelled to proceed by upholding a loyalty pledge because they're no, they're not nominees.

And I'm glad that Marcelina asked the question, because that's where I was getting to.

And so this is one final example on the loyalty pledge.

You have three gubernatorial teams for candidates.

Only one will be declared a winner this evening.

Even if the win by one vote, the loyalty pledge does not mandate or require that the team that finished second and his team that finished third must support the team that comes out with a nomination.

That lawyer does not part of the loyalty pledge?

No.

And so whether you're finished second or third, you could decide that as losing the Democratic primary that deals teams can go out and encourage their supporters to back a governor candidate that is non-democratic, whether all the rest of them are independents against the Democratic nominee.

I'm just asking no, no, no from that concept.

Good question.

All right.

Because that's what we're doing right now.

We they don't have to.

They don't.

They're not the nominee.

If they won't be the nominee if they're not declared winners tonight.

But we are unifying our party.

They're still members in good standing and they still work candidates at some time, some point.

So we're we expect that they will remain they will remain very much supportive of the candidates and the ticket going forward.

Okay.

So his expectations but not part of their loyalty.

Yes, yes.

Thank you kindly and appreciate your responses.

Now, you know, I want to ask you, you know, what do you think ultimately drove some Democratic voters in this election?

You know, we see public safety, health care, economy, government accountability.

All of these things were on the ballot today.

You know, what do you think voters really came out there looking to to cast their support behind?

Well, overall, we I think we have about it's fair to say that there were approximately 10,000 people come out to vote during the primary election, right?

That's more people than voted in the last gubernatorial election.

In a primary election.

Yeah.

And and I really believe it's crime was one of them.

It's the state of the economy and in particular, I know for for Saint Croix, because I talked to a lot of people, they just felt that the cost affordability was on the ballot, the cost of food, gas, everything, taking, taking their children to, to, to daycare and so on and so forth.

And that those things drove a lot of the folks 45 and older to go out full force to the ballot to, to, to the I think some of these things are some of the are included in the platform on the Democratic, the Democratic Party's page, part of your platform.

So you call for accountability, health care, education, affordable housing, reliable energy and economic opportunity.

Now, those are things that have appeared in Democratic messaging for years.

You know, why should Virgin Islanders believe that?

You know, I guess this election will produce different results versus, you know, past elections, especially being that the Democratic Party has, you know, been somewhat controlled much of the governor's office and the Senate for for years.

In a very kind of a difficult question, Marcelina, difficult to say.

There's no there's a lot of speculation in, in, in elections.

Right.

And the voters don't know for sure, but based on the candidates that for the most part and I'm speaking to my Democratic Party candidates, all of them have already there, participated in public service, and they all have experience and records.

And I know that when we speak about government accountability, people want the government to run differently.

The people want the government to put a structure in place where a accountability truly matters.

And when you don't perform, you no longer have a job.

I think that's that's the kind of change and maybe drastic, because I don't know that nobody anybody gets fired from the government.

And if they do it and far between, and this is something that the Democratic Party internally needs to start, I guess kind of looking at when it comes to because Democrats have, you know, been the dominant party and the Virgin Islands for a number of years.

So is are you saying that the Democratic Party is going to start seeing somewhat of a shift in holding accountability internally with some of the candidates that they have put forward to lead government?

I'm glad you asked that question, because that's exactly my vision as a as a chairperson, we're going to be strong on the issues.

We're going to be strong on carrying forward what the constituency is, what is important to our constituents across the board and in the districts, and we're going to advance them.

What is to the legislature or to whoever the new governor is?

Those things will be heard coming from the Democrat representing the areas across the territory.

Looking forward now to the general election.

You know, you know, you're speaking to the entire territory, to all of those registered voters, you know, after with the Democratic Party being the dominating the dominant governing party, you know what?

Major problem, I guess, facing the Virgin Islands.

Do you think Democrats can point to and say, we solved this, and this is why you should vote for us coming up in a general election?

Yes.

There's a number of things that Governor Brian has championed.

I don't think that he's been credited enough.

And I don't think that because of the time and the lapse in time, right, that ever since Covid and having to deal with a number of disaster recovery projects, perhaps, perhaps the work didn't complete fast enough, but they're very much well on the way.

And whoever the next governor is, and certainly it is my belief that it'll be a Democrat.

That person will step, step into his shoes and complete all of those jobs, all of the projects, the disaster recovery projects, including the houses that are still in finish, you know, and yeah, it's a sad state of affairs, but that kind of, those, those kind of things that continue to be, you know, lagging are what we're going to be pushing as a party.

Did you miss the question that Marcelina asked?

The question was, and you it looked like your ears are better than mine.

Yes they are.

The one thing I am, you can't speak well if you're not a good listener.

The question was, is there anything that you can point to because you said you first begin to answer a question by saying there was a number of things that he's this administration has been able to accomplish.

And the inquiry was about if you could just share a couple of those things in you, your position, a number could be two, three.

So something that you've considered as accomplishments from the administration.

Sorry, just like you.

I live here, right?

Yeah.

And when when the power goes out, I feel it just like you and the same issues that you are feeling, I feel them.

And so, yeah, the education, the state of education in the Virgin Islands.

Accomplishment.

You say?

No, that's that's what I'm looking at, the process.

Okay.

And that's why I deliberately couldn't and didn't answer.

No.

I'm sorry.

Not that I understand you clearly that.

Thank you very much.

Push the question to the side.

Yes.

Okay, good.

Yes.

I think the viewers will follow you.

And you should know how to do that, because you do it too.

I want you to know this.

No, I pay attention.

Yeah.

Good.

All right.

Sorry, Miss Byrd.

I'm going to.

I'm going to allow you to get away from the from the inquiry from from the hot seat right now.

And give your final words to residents of the Virgin Islands this evening, specifically your Democrats, as you guys kind of move on and we wait for the results to come in.

Well, but what?

Yeah, that question was a loaded one.

As you well know, the governor is the titular head of the party.

But not not notwithstanding that, then we believe, you know, as a party who is in the process of modernizing that.

We are in the purposes of also shepherding in a new generation of leadership.

We've seen a number of new faces coming to this primary election in 2026, primary election.

And it's not easy to offer yourself for office, but that's something that this party prides itself in.

We find ourselves in making sure that we provide the opportunity for individuals who have that interest to be trained, to give them a chance to understand what it feels like to, to, you know, to to put a campaign together and check all the boxes that will make them a viable candidate.

We part of all of our candidates today and we wish all of them success.

Some of them will not make it true, but we're not going to stop there.

We'll still be wanting them and having them around.

Good luck to all of them nonetheless.

And thanks to both of you for having me this evening.

Thank you so much.

Miss Burke, we appreciate you coming and sitting down with us.

And all of our questions were fair questions.

Just want to put that on the record.

And we want to remind you that the original Democrats, the difference between the donkey, donkey Democrats and personal Democrats.

That's that's that's for another show.

That's another.

I got a history lesson a bit thing.

That's another thing.

But this burg we want to thank you so much again for coming in and for joining us.

Have a wonderful evening.

Thank you.

All right.

Now I want to kind of go back to the early voting numbers that we've seen.

Just remind the voting public to remind the listening public, actually, we have for the governor and lieutenant governor race, Stacey Plaskett and Milton Potter right now with 3169.

Trans and noble Francis, 2253.

Donna Gregory and Rodney Morehead, 1393.

And the delegate to Congress race, we have Janelle Casar with 3548.

Delia Smith 2141.

Terry Helena's 556.

Emmett Hanson, 356.

For the legislature of the Virgin Islands in the Saint Croix District.

Kurt Vile, 2495.

Kenneth Kenny Gittens 1929.

Clifford Joseph 1735.

Nemi Williams Jackson 1560 Lisa J. Charles Hubert Lisa J. Charles 1444.

Hubert Frederick 1434.

Jose Gonzalez 1141.

Rounding out the top seven, we have Linda Nikki Brooks with 1066, Dwight M Carter with 460, and Omar Boo Henry with 359 votes and the Saint Thomas Saint Don district.

We have Avery Lewis with 2053 votes.

Marvin Blyden, 1696.

Carla Joseph 1604.

Rudolph Hodge, Jr 1135.

Janelle Francis 1104.

Ray Popa Fonseca 1059.

And rounding out the top seven Joel S Brown Connors with 1022.

We have Peter Bailey with 989, Kashif Hamilton 959, and Mary May, leader with the 900 votes.

These are reminder this these these are the early voting numbers.

My apologies.

Lucy.

Very very interesting I think the.

Discussion that we were having and unfortunately I don't know if we might be able to get on that assistance from the election system.

What are not for for the territorial races?

Yes.

In particular, the gubernatorial race and the delegate to Congress race.

A breakdown of precincts, no votes cast in a gubernatorial race by district.

Political district.

Like what did the race look like in Saint Croix District?

For the candidates and for the delegate to Congress candidate?

What was the results of the votes in the Saint Thomas and John district, particularly since there's been a lot of discussion about polls.

And then we also had some discussion in regards to the presentation of WTTG with the the forums, the gubernatorial forums.

You had the delegate Congress on forums, you had a lieutenant governors forum.

All three of them were separate.

And so it's interesting in regards to that particular point.

But the other last comment that I, that I would make on we, you and I did agree that in the senatorial races, we expect that the four incumbents will make it out of the primary the Saint Thomas and John district.

I was in fact, unsure whether or not one of the incumbents will be in the top four, and that results shows without center reference is a rare yes.

Refund not being in the top four.

I think he's somewhere down the line in regards to the the results for Senator in that particular district.

I don't have that in front of me, I do.

So he might be six and the seven person is on Joel S Brown on Connors.

And so so that's interesting.

But in the district of Saint Croix, you can see that the candidates was able to hold hold true where the same issue occurs, incumbents in the top three spot.

And then incumbent Senator Hubert Fredericks has dropped down drop down in regards as an incumbent.

And when you come out the primary in five, six and seven, then you go, remember, I tell folks and I'm glad the stage chair is gone already, I tell folks, are the time difference between a donkey race and a race.

Well, so tonight the donkey race done.

And after that is over, you're entering to a house race where you have strong independent, no party candidates.

Candidates that are coming in a general election.

And so sometime individual may finish first, second and third in a primary.

And she's not alive today.

But you can tell and come first.

But after I primary that I can finish first second.

And so we this will be the interesting part of the campaign we'll be looking forward to definitely.

Now looking at the gubernatorial standings, I want to kind of go back to the earlier conversation that we were having before the state cheer came.

We were talking about endorsements and whether or not, you know, that hurt or help candidates in any way.

You know, we were speaking about the Roach Francis team and whether or not, you know, the governor is stating that he sees this team as a continuation of the current administration.

You know, right now we have Plaskett and Potter leading the the in the numbers with the early voting numbers right now.

And the Plaskett Potter team got some very big endorsements, most notably that coming from the former vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris.

You know, numerous US representatives, including Representative Jasmine Crockett, who came to the territory, was both on Saint Thomas and on Saint Croix.

Representative Jim Clyburn out of South Carolina, Richard Neil out of Massachusetts, Sidney Lager dove out of California.

I mean, the list kind of goes on.

As you know, you had former Representative Marcia hug Marcia Fudge out of Ohio, who also served as the US secretary for HUD, as well to New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor.

You know, a lot of these, you know, very big names, you know, on the mainland endorsing the Potter team.

Do you think that that played a role in the numbers that we're seeing, you know, this evening?

It's difficult to say whether or not it plays a role, but it is not difficult to to say that is, it's important to be acknowledged and recognized in regards to the endorsement that comes out.

And I think I listened to the campaign period from different talk show, different commentaries and various events.

Individual ones say, let's let's start first with delegate, the candidate for governor.

So what do you think?

It's important that we at least people who live in the doorway, we are endorsing you and I. And I said to myself, I said, when you make that kind of comment, at least if you're sharing it with me, I'm asking you the question.

I said, you're you're moving yourself and beyond logic.

There's 365 days in a year.

The delegate has been in Congress 13 years.

You have 365 days in a year.

If the delegate, there are 965 days out of that, 365 days and a year, there are lot.

And that sounds like too much.

And so you're saying that she's outside of the Virgin Islands, working with these people outside of the islands, over 300 days a year for 13 years.

And she has not been able to build relationships and draw friendship, which are professional and engaging based on those experiences that she's been out there for all those periods of time, of 300 days a year, for 13 years, I would be upset and embarrassed to hear that you dealt the 13 years and each one and years, 300 days in each year, and nobody you've been working with up there are those times think that you are enough pedigree, or you are enough of an elected individual to endorse and support.

And then I will swing the the pendulum around the pendulum.

Yes.

And let's start with the Senate governor.

No, I save him for last.

You have former Senator Gregory, Donna Fred Gregory.

Who hosted Nobel National Organization of Black Elected Women, hosted this group in the capital in Saint Thomas is a member of this group.

You're saying that you haven't established any relationship with you?

And this is not just black elected legislators?

No, this is black elected women's mayors.

Different positions that they're elected, that there's nobody and Nobel that you thought or would have been willing to provide a support of public endorsement to your professionalism, your character, and they perceive interest in your ability to do the job of the governor.

We should switch over to Lieutenant Governor Roach, who I think I heard someone saying that on a number of occasions I bought at them.

I was out the territory at the same time.

But I also heard you reported on that the lieutenant governor is outside of the territory, attending a national Association of insurance company insurance commissioners.

And I think I also heard you saying that he may have been elected to some executive position in the Insurance Commissioner's Association.

So you're telling me that nobody that's sitting in that commissioner association feel you worthy enough that elected and vote for you to be part of the executive committee to the if they don't feel you worry, that you don't feel them worthy enough to ask of the support and the endorsement for your for you running for public office, for governor.

And so you go down the same back to Fred Gregory, who has served, quote unquote, because I was a elected member of the executive committee of the National Conference of State Legislature, was she pronounced sometime ago that she was also elected to this executive committee?

No one on that executive committee, that you have some established relationship that would be able to endorse you.

So why complain about the strategy that they delegate, decide to share with our community that these people endorse me running for governor?

And if you haven't asked, but I didn't do so.

If anybody don't want to endorse you, that should not be the fault of the delegates.

No, no, I mean, I mean that she she started fitting in and she's not the only one we we had delegate before.

Delegate.

Delegate Christian she she endorsed the the road Francis team.

Yes.

But when she ran for governor, she made a conscious decision not to solicit the support of anyone from outside of the territory endorsing her because she was a big wig in the Congressional Black Caucus.

She was a big, big wig in the National Democratic Party.

She was a state chair after being a Congress.

So those kind of things, those are the decisions of the candidate.

Whether or not is impactful leaves a different story.

But but the point is, is that my understanding of the delegate endorsement was to paint a picture of the ability for her to be able to work with people and people who actually have worked with, yes, have faith in her capacity to do the job.

I don't want viewers.

I don't want viewer, our viewers to get the impression that the other teams did not get any endorsements whatsoever.

Now they'll get Plaskett did.

In fact, her endorsements did surpass those of the other two teams.

Fred Gregory and Rodney Morehead did get endorsements from former Senate President Sean Michael Malone, as well as James Jim Hurd, former U.S.

attorney for the Virgin Islands, as well to.

So they did get there were endorsements.

But you know, the reason I know our conversation definitely stems from the fact that the delegate did amass a large number of endorsements.

And I want to say, you know, it's it's I think this is the most endorsements that I've personally seen that I can recollect a gubernatorial candidate collecting.

I've been around a little longer than you.

And yes, this is one of the most I think what I, what I was addressing was the subject matter of individuals taking a particular position and being critical of endorsements.

Some individuals who live outside of the Virgin Islands.

Yes.

And in their minds have nothing to do with the Virgin Islands.

And I think that the point that was being missed is that they wasn't endorsing the Virgin Islands.

They will provide an endorsement of someone that they have worked with over this extended period of time, and she saw it fit to utilize that strategy, and whether or not it garnered any particular number of votes, I think it's of no moment.

Okay.

What is of the moment is that to build up her reputation of being that only capable of doing the job, but also leave the public impression that you will have a long reach hand of support outside of the territory in doing the job if elected.

Okay.

All right.

Now, before we continue this conversation, I do want to welcome board Chairman, Mr.

Raymond Williams.

How are you this evening, Mr.

Williams?

Good evening.

You've been a long day traveling from this morning.

Saint John.

Visiting both centers on Saint John, coming back over to say no one's doing all three there and then come into Grand doing the same since been a long day.

But I think that I want to congratulate the winners.

I want to also with the trouble you saying the winners we have we have we have have we have.

We already talked about early voting.

That's the only number.

You have some numbers, some new numbers for us.

Yes.

Well I'm not going to share your numbers because okay.

Until the, the the the staff completes the tabulations.

You know I just want to note that we still have walk into account.

We have million dollars account and stuff like that.

That process we'll begin on Monday.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Now before we discuss some of the results or anything like that.

And you know what we've seen so far.

How would you assess the overall performance for the Board of Elections during this election cycle?

So functionally we did our jobs.

Okay.

It's been a two year road, right.

With the addition of new members.

But again, at the end of the day, I think that as people phase in and some of us who will be phasing out, there will always be room for change.

Always be room for improvement.

So I think that I just want to say that we are working group of individuals, different opinions.

But at the end of the day, we walk out the room with our collective consensus of decisions.

Yeah.

Now this is you are not seeking reelection.

So this is is this your this right now, your last Democratic primary.

This is my last.

Yes.

Primary.

Yes.

Okay.

As a border.

Okay.

Yes.

So looking back on it, you know, just the overall day, you know, you said you started off in Saint John.

Was there any nostalgia?

Was there any, like, a tip you had off as you walk through?

You know, the voting centers that made your way back over to are you?

Bottom line.

I'll miss it.

Let's go there because this is 24 years of membership on the board.

I'll definitely miss it.

But, you know, it was good to see.

One of the things I saw for certain was the movement of young people that were out canvasing, young people that were out taking part in this overall process.

Okay.

Mr.

Richards, thank you.

I was allowing you to to grill the chair.

I have I have my you know, I always have my questions, but I give them some reprieve.

Kept them on a roller coaster.

Yeah.

The the one of the subject matters that we touched on in regards to.

The election system and we spoke with on the, on the supervisor, and she kicked that ball back to us and says that's something that the board should discuss is our concerns that we share with the supervisor was about the cost of primaries and the limited amount of individuals that are participating.

You have believe this has some 37,000 registered Democrats, and we've just completed a process that ends ended this evening.

And you had a number of person that participated via absentee ballot.

That probably won't add up to no more than 10,000 I. Thus far, the numbers look like one third of registered Democrats would have participated in a primary process.

So the question that at least I asked of her and Marcelina and I discussed this also with her.

It was so the does the board have an intent to have a firm position about moving out of the business, of having a government conduct and pay for party primaries?

I know, I know, you're a staunch Democrat, but I suspect you're also a taxpayer, and we were concerned about what you think the board would consider.

So it's not an issue of the board or the election system.

If you think back when the legislation was passed, basically saying that the parties quote unquote, responsible for their own selection process, quote unquote primary, several years ago, the Democratic Party challenged that in court.

The judge, I think it was Judge Brady at a time basically said, if the legislature funds it, your responsibility is to carry it out.

So it's not a matter I think that's before the board or the office of the supervisor.

The legislature sees it fit to fund it.

The process takes place.

Yeah.

Well, just for clarity, and what the sponsor of the legislation.

The question then is when the board discover that the the ruling was made at the Superior Court level by Judge Brady, as you, you said, have the board then follow up with the legislature and tell them what they need to review and make these possible changes based on the ruling of the judge, so that the intent can be carried out.

Because I showed that I was out the legislature by then, not to my the board never follow up and we never follow through on saying that.

But what I would say relative to legislation and amending title 18, we have spent a phenomenal amount of time, maybe back in 2014 and coming forward and working with several senators and literally page by page, going through title 18 and looking at all the pieces that needed to be amended, a process that probably last lasted us about 4 or 5 months.

It was Senator Gittens, Novell.

Francis.

It was.

Roach, Nellie, Nellie O'Reilly, to name a few of the senators.

I participated in that process over that extended period of time.

And when those pieces were proffered, I think the only thing the legislature acted on was to increase the salaries of Election Day officials.

Simple things like technical amendments, the word joint boards, some of the things I never got touched.

Well, I'm going to turn it back to Marcelina and be nice with this last comment.

And my commentary is, is that I have a clearing person that the members of the party are afraid of and don't trust each other.

That's why they cannot agree to the conduct of a party nomination process through convention and caucuses, as was done in the past, during the time when your late father was was a senator.

They called because they had conventions and the government did not pay for primary elections for political parties.

And that's the lack of trust.

So when the issue comes up, what the legislature makes sure it does appropriate the money to the election system so that you don't have any excuse to meet the mandates.

As the code said, they give me the money, so you all have to do it.

Correct?

That's the bottom line.

That's about it.

I mean, just in this process that we just went through today, the appropriations for budgeted appropriations for the primary just took place recently.

I mean, you know, we have asked the legislature to make the appropriations because you recognize that the primary elections, so-called primary elections, takes place in the current fiscal year.

The general election takes place in the ensuing fiscal year.

Yeah.

So we've always asked that make one appropriation for both or specifically towards a general.

Now, the board recently adopted a new audit process procedure ahead of the the primary.

And, you know, you've since been directed to kind of develop a permanent audit policy as well to what lessons from this election.

Do you think will shape that long term policy?

You know?

And do you anticipate the board possibly expanding the scope for future audits, if anything?

Yes.

As a matter of fact, the board is going to meet the meeting on Tuesday in a working session to further develop what that process would look like.

We are going to perform an audit of the primary election on August 6th.

That process for this primary entails making a random selection of one voting, these 200 that was utilized at early voting, one that was utilized today on primary day, those ballots will be removed from the ballot box and counted and fit into an independent DSU hundred to ensure that the information, the numbers the votes cast are accurate.

So, you know, Mr.

Williams, walk us through, I guess for for the viewers and for the listeners as well to, I guess, kind of what the atmosphere is like in trying to hurry up and get these numbers out.

So, you know, over the years.

We've tried to improve on the process.

Because he's been a lot longer, very much so.

Ghana, that is where we would hold up a piece of paper and tally off of a piece of paper.

To the point now where, as you saw tonight.

Yeah.

Early votes.

We started a process, I believe, roughly at about 730.

And by the time we're finished with those numbers, probably was closer within 45 minutes of that long.

Okay.

Because the process has improved so dramatically.

I think part of it to is that you have consensus in what you do when one of the things that we've struggled with, I think in the past, over time and we've improved, that is who gets what results first, because they're for quite a period of time.

Results were being released, partial partially results were being released, and by the time one media got it versus the other, one media was reporting a set of numbers, another a different set of numbers.

So it kind of created chaos and confusion.

Yeah, but I think we're at the place now that we.

It's a bit more streamlined, streamlined the formation.

And so it goes out one time.

And I think it's so streamlined that we've already gotten some combined numbers with early voting and voting for today.

So in the the for governor and lieutenant governor, we have in these combined numbers now with early voting and for today, Stacey Plaskett and Milton Potter with 4493 and Novo Francis 3054, Donna Gregory and Rodney Morehead 1975 39.

Write in totals.

Total votes cast 9561 for the delegate to the House of Representatives.

Janelle Sara, with 4913.

Delia Smith 3007 Terry Helen's 799.

Emmett Hanson 493 22.

Write in totals and total votes cast 9234.

For the legislature of the Virgin Islands in the Saint Croix District.

Kurt Vile 3539.

Kenneth Kenny Gittens 2677.

Clifford Joseph 2445.

Nemi Williams Jackson two 200 Lisa J. Charles 2026.

We are in the year of 2026.

Hubert Frederick 2013 Jose Gonzalez 1707.

Linda Nikki Brooks 1548.

Dwight Cartier 625.

Omar Boo Henry 515 145.

Write in totals and total votes cast 19,440.

In the Saint Thomas Saint John district, leading the race is Avery Lewis, 2724.

Marvin Blyden 2328.

Carla Joseph 2202.

Rudolph junior 1587.

Chanel Francis 1578.

Ray Popa Fonseca 1486.

Joel S Brown Connors 1393.

Peter Bailey 1389.

Kashif Hamilton 1327.

Maillard May leader 1279.

And Lawrence, Larry Basalt 1089.

Michael Smith nine 991 784.

Write in totals for a total votes cast of 20,157.

In the Board of Education in the Saint Croix District, Terrance Joseph with 1767.

Winona Hendricks 1657.

Christopher Jacobs, Junior 1223.

Mo Dennis 1183 30 write in totals and 5860 total votes cast for the Board of Education in the Saint Thomas Saint John District.

Judy Gomez 2303.

Rick Lockhart 1671.

Devonte Xavier 1389.

Michelle Catherine 557 47.

Writing totals for a total votes cast of 5967.

The Board of Elections in the Saint Thomas Saint John District.

Kevin Rodriguez with 1759.

Barbara Peterson, 1750 1691 90.

Write in totals and total votes cast 5290.

Yes, and I think what we definitely would like to share with the viewing audience is that this seems to represent the unofficial results for primary election night of August 1st.

Yes.

And I will assume that it also will be incorporated in the cumulative numbers of early voting.

You have the understanding that these are all now put together.

Yes.

Good.

And so we're looking at unofficial results, unofficial in the context that we are now awaiting the absentee ballots as well.

The gentleman that we're interviewing, yes, the chairman of the Joint Boards of Elections and the members of the board to to conduct the tabulation of absentee ballots.

I believe you also have a walk in ballots.

Is what you mentioned?

Correct.

Okay.

And just explain to us on outside of the unofficial revivals, we have votes cast today at the trade precincts on Saint Croix, three prisons on Saint Thomas, the three prisons.

Oh, sorry.

Three voting centers on synchrony, three voting centers on Saint Thomas and the two voting centers on Saint John.

So we have those results in the report given by Marcelina, which is also inclusive of the.

Early voting numbers.

And so just tell us what is outstanding that will be added to these unofficial results if you can.

So I my numbers are correct.

On Saint Croix we have approximately 270.

Votes account for walking Mail-In ballots.

And in the District of Saint John, a little over 300 of those votes that will be balanced to be counted as well.

That process will start on Monday at 1:00 in both districts so that we can move towards getting.

I just want to also say that I don't have the numbers, the aggregate total numbers of ballots that were requested as walking or sorry to interrupt you, but the supervisor did give us the exact numbers.

You got the numbers earlier?

Yes.

Okay.

So the by law, basically we have ten days from which by by which to count all those ballots and then to basically certify the election.

Okay.

Final words, Mr.

Williams.

You know, you speak to the voters before we get you out of the hot seat.

Okay.

So I think it's imperative that the message be sent clear that your vote makes a difference.

Your vote matters.

You often hear people complaining about everything.

Another son throughout our communities.

Your vote is your voice.

It makes the difference if you don't participate in the process.

You're a part of the problem, so you've got to participate in the process.

You know, we looked at the numbers thus far today.

I think that we could have seen a whole lot more people coming out to vote.

Voter apathy clearly continues to be a part of why people aren't coming out.

You know, you have from.

They don't fix my road or they don't do nothing.

And, you know, some people just don't come out to vote.

But if you don't vote, you can't get results.

So I encourage people to come out and vote.

You know, a blank ballot is a vote.

You can cast a ballot that is a vote, but come out and vote.

Make your voice be heard.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate you coming and joining us this evening.

We'll see you.

General election.

We'll do it.

Do this again.

Yes we will.

Thank you guys for having me.

And thank you for sharing and contributing to our discussions.

Yes.

Good evening guys.

You as well.

And have an interest in observation.

Just before we went through to the chair, we were talking about these quote unquote endorsements.

And unfortunately for for you and I, we have our phone and vibrate.

We do.

And so and so it appears we was getting some rebuttal.

And somewhat more than likely, they misunderstood the commentary that I was making on the subject matter of endorsement from individuals or the territory.

And I don't believe that at any time that I was sharing that, that I was emphasizing that it mattered.

No, I was making mention of the reasoning behind the utilization of an endorsement.

But in this case, by by the delegate and what the availability of endorsement by others.

And and so I was corrected that during the time of the gubernatorial campaign of the former delegate to Congress, that she was endorsed by members of the National Democratic Party.

I say Hillary and a couple other persons and and the impression that was left with me in the messaging that people here was saying, well, we wanted them.

We don't need it.

I wasn't interested in whether we wanted it or not.

I'm just saying the reason and how endorsements come about.

Yes.

And I think that point out to be made clear and and the impression that I had based on my understanding, is that that the delegate that chose not to use them, not that she didn't have any.

Yes, but obviously it appears that she had some and she used them and somebody somewhere in some place at some time tell them we don't want to hear about it.

And I'm sure there are people that would say the same thing this year.

Also, I want to remind our viewers and our listeners that we are here live at the Election System office on Saint Croix.

So some of the noise that you heard when we were speaking with Mr.

Williams, some of that was actually members from the fire team celebrating when we when those numbers came in.

So just reminding our viewers and listeners that when you're hearing any background noise and stuff, it's not our guys in the background, you know, making any noise.

We're actually here live at the Election system office on Saint Croix.

So, you know, I eventually I'm sure we're going to and I probably seeing some candidates coming and celebrating, they might pop in and join us on the seat.

And, you know, we will be nice to them on the seat.

We'll see.

Yes.

But what?

And what I was looking at in the numbers and was one of the items that we was going to speak about, about the subject matter of.

The effectiveness of the, of the forums and debate provided by WTTG and other entities.

When you had the WTTG forum with the candidates for delegate that included.

Candidate candidate, Smith, Helen Nice, and Hansen.

And this is just my personal opinion about what I observed and listened to.

It was clear that candidate sorrow, in my opinion, was from clear, understood and had prepared herself for such a discussion on this forum.

And if in fact her presentation and the manner in which she participated at the forum, comparing to the other three challenges was was viewed as firm, knowledgeable.

Unfettered, for lack of a better term, that that the results that I'm looking at could, could, could have been added to by people who are able to look at these type of presentations in an open minded manner, irrespective of whether or not they have any feeling of loyalty or friendship towards any particular candidate.

Just just look at it.

And then I would say the same, which the results are not the same in in the when I look at the debate of you had Lieutenant Governor Roach.

Yes, you had the governor candidate delegate, you had the former senator and gubernatorial candidate and donor, Fred Gregory, in that presentation of that debate forum by, in my opinion, the person that stood out there and given it a good front presentation, looked at the camera, was responsive and was directive and knowledgeable on the subject matter was was Donna Fred Gregory.

I think she had one of the the better presentation of all three of them.

Now the presentation may not, based on the results that we see here tonight have garnered the type of support.

But for those people that looked at it and paid attention and look at the manner of just delivery, the lieutenant governor at that point, which was surprising to me.

I've never known him to appear uncomfortable and anxious.

When you when you look at the the manner of how he folded his hand, his eyes, I think sometimes, you know, that's how it came after you.

Not only me.

There was a lot of us.

You see that on the TV.

When you see the presentation, you go to this and then you look.

It left the impression that there was some comfort in the presentation and.

And the same would have been held true for for Delegate Plaskett at certain point in time, seen unsettled and unnerving in the presentation and the response.

But in Fred Gregory you saw a firm, stable, stable look into the camera, you're speaking to the camera and and just the presentation.

And so that's just my opinion.

This is from the debate, WTT debate.

And I'm a planner by profession.

And the first rule of planning is observation.

So I'm observing the presentation.

Not only what they said, how they said the facial gestures and mannerisms that they provide you to.

Those of us are in the public paying attention.

I want to say that I think our debates and of course I'm going to be biased, but I think our debates, I was definitely my favorite.

I enjoyed all of the, you know, forums and the debates that had been put on and, you know, being able to consume all the contents and hearing from the candidates as well too.

But I definitely have the most fun at hours.

And what is interesting, I don't want the impression to to be left that that I didn't look at other forums.

Yes.

Now I looked at the one of them you mentioned to me that was uncovered in your news coverage on one of those days that I can't remember the there's some acronym of this group that involve labor unions.

Okay.

Yes.

But I was able to to view that I believe that was available on YouTube.

The us v.i.

Area Labor Federation, right, who went silent after rebuttal from the Central Labor Council.

But I still look at the forum.

Yes.

And.

The format is different and lend to a different type of interaction.

Respondent and it should be different because they're speaking about labor issues.

Yes.

The Jack format would have been much different.

People question of whether and that is at a debate.

But I think people forget that they were being questioned by people involved in covering the news on a day to day basis.

Yes, for extended period of time, of which some of the candidates are most, if not all, the candidates were involved in news media interaction and were asked about their record, their record, and I think so.

So it gives a different balance.

So I wouldn't determine that one is better than the other is just two different perspectives, definitely that you're looking at in these type of debates.

I think one of the things that we definitely saw as well to this election, this primary season, was campaign fundraising.

I think that was another thing.

I think the Plaskett Potter team definitely outspent the other teams by and far, you know, outraised, outraised, outraised.

I don't know if I don't have any.

Yes.

Thank you for for for correcting me.

You know, a lot of those donations came from seemingly came from off island as well to, you know, and you know, they received several maximal maximum contributions of $3,500.

And I think just kind of going off of, you know, we could not confirm neither the Roach Francis nor the Gregory Moorehead receiving that maximum $3,500 contribution during that reporting period.

So, you know, what do you think that that, you know, the fundraising, the spending, do you think that that played any role and the results that we see that we saw tonight?

Oh, definitely the the fundraising, the the disbursement of the funds for a campaign.

I would hope it plays a role because you cannot, in fact, be successful in spreading your message and you have a limited, finite amount of funding to cover today's media platforms.

I think that's what you young people call them.

Platforms.

Yes.

And so what are you going to to to the print media.

You got television, you got radio, you got online platforms and forums, and then you have the old time ones where people are complaining about the mailers.

I had one back in my campaign because back then you just go to the post office and you pay for this post, this thing, and then you put that and everything and then everybody that got me back.

So I got some mailers.

I did get some mailers.

Did you get you did you get any of this?

You're trying to be nice and put it mildly.

I got a whole lot of mailers this directly into.

As a matter of fact, today is Saturday and my way from doing my daily exercise.

I checked the post office and I still had one community for today's day, I don't know.

So mailers were coming, but the subject matter that you raised in regards to contributions.

Speaks to.

Different messages.

The first message I think that's important for for us to, at least for me, to, to to share with your viewers and your audience the.

Your ability to solicit request an actual financial contributions to your campaign.

Is vested in the manner and how much you campaign is organized and structured.

And then there's some reporting from different sources.

It's funny because I don't know if the team's three gubernatorial teams were running that, that they didn't realize that they were running for governor until sometime this year.

I don't know if that's the case.

Okay.

I know that annually I have an opportunity to attend with farmer members of the state legislature, the National Black Conference of State legislatures.

And I've been in the organization I now attend as a as a former senator and the executive committee of that entity for some ten years.

But when I got in my retiree capacity and me and the old folks who are there, we're having a class with union, we're not there for all the conferences.

I ran into a couple of people that work in DC and at least up to two years ago, and they ran into me and they said, hey, Senator Richardson, so you think Stacey is going to win?

That's three years ago.

That was three years ago.

Okay.

So the next year later.

And then so for three consecutive years, there are people that I know that have relationships with the national state legislators who were former members of NBC or members of the House of Representatives that are in the state legislature, teams who are members of the corporate round table that include every little company you could think of with this AARP, Pfizer pharmaceuticals.

Whoo hoo!

I know, because serving in my capacity with the Health Committee and the Human services, whether they find in me or whoever they are that they know they done here somewhere.

They said they're not asking.

They were only asking me.

No, I'm from the Netherlands.

And they figure you should know Stacey Plaskett.

And now they don't think she's going to win.

So are you saying with those comments now?

Yes.

Are you saying that the other two teams took too long to essentially put themselves out there to let voters know, hey, I am a viable candidate to take me seriously?

What?

I'm saying that the other two teams will work unless organized and structured to, to garner the amount of of support in such a short period of time in comparison to the amount of time that it appears that at least past it, irrespective of whether or not the party was the running mate, but passed it knowing of her intention and organizing, planning and preparing.

I, just like a little Boy Scout, might be prepared.

Yes, and if you're not not prepared, then you suffer the consequences of lack of proper preparation.

Yeah, but proper preparation.

I don't remember the piece of the puzzle piece.

I don't want to to be dealing with utilizing the the colloquial terms.

I'm just saying you lack proper preparation.

And so yes, she out.

Prepare them out.

Work them.

In regards to the fundraiser, what is funny to me was the subject matter.

I'm reading one of our only daily hard copy circulated newspaper that was listing all of the contributors of one candidate, and then we went to list the contributions of another candidate.

They said they can't tell you the the candidate name, or they can't tell you whether I mean the donor's name, or they can say where the donor come from.

So why is it that you're able to go or you send in proper filing?

Yeah.

And so you're able to have all this information and they should have as a filing document, a listing of everybody that contribute in regards to the name and where the entity is from, because that is, is part of a form for filing.

Yeah.

I want to talk about the Ratan Poll.

Yes.

That's interesting.

Ratan Paul, you know that came out I think the now it had the Plaskett Potter team leading at 57% with the.

But they had the Fred Gregory Moorhead team, you know leading ahead of the Roach Francis.

So you know those differing now the Ratan poll was surveyed by 180 registered Democrats in the Saint Croix district from July 17th through the 29th with a margin of error of, you know, give or take 7.3%.

Now, you know, I think some people were saying, you know, they were comments made of like, you know, not taking the written poll seriously, you know, but I think from growing up, just since I have known myself somewhat or been paying attention to politics, the Ratan poll has been something that has come out.

It's almost somewhat nostalgic at this point as well to, you know, what do you say to those who would say, you know, not to take the Ratan poll seriously?

The poll and I know the gentleman that has conducted it, has been conducting this poll since 1998.

We've had the fortunate opportunity and the guests are getting ready to join us.

He's had the same opportunity like myself to to to be candidates when these polls were being conducted.

Yes.

Over the years since 1998, the Ratan poll has not been a poll that has been out in left field and far right that we don't expect.

We'll look at the senatorial races in the district.

Although the the listing or the order of the top 7th May change based on return polling or whatever, that may vary, but usually the top seven are there.

Now the the big question mark was, I suspect, in the gubernatorial race where there was some in fact projection that perhaps at first and with Fred Gregory some percentage points ahead of Francis.

And I know that took the road Francis team by surprise and created some upheaval.

Yes.

It didn't finish like that, but it is.

It is a Poland.

You look at the other races.

Yeah.

All the other races fairly fell in place in regards to order and the delegate to Congress and the Senate.

Well, I want to get our guest when I get our guest is, you know, this is a perfect place for our guests to jump in.

Mr.

James, former senator, the host of the Cruncher of Numbers, the math, the math whiz host of Analyze This.

Good evening.

Glad to be here.

Good evening.

You know, we're speaking about the Ratan Poll this evening, you know, and kind of the reaction to it as well to, you know, that's was something you spoke about as well to analyze this.

Yeah.

We agreed to the audience and I want to first of all comment.

I was watching it tuned in from seven.

Y'all did a great job.

So we're good with that.

The Ratan poll was good, but a little bit misleading from the standpoint that it was also incorrect.

Right.

I wanted a couple of things.

Jumped off on the Ratan pool at me.

According to Mr.

James Raymond James, who does the Ratan poll?

There were a lot of people who actually didn't participate, didn't vote for our candidate in the gubernatorial race and the delegate race.

Looking at the numbers that we're seeing here tonight, there was definitely participation.

I believe the total number of votes was 9998 territory wide.

If you include the 7113 and early voting, and I believe it was 2884 somewhere that on Election day.

So that was good.

Also answering which to me was refuted tonight he had the Fred Gregory Moorehead team lead in the Roach Francis team.

That's correct.

That's insane.

Croix.

Yeah.

Right.

So we got to wait now to look at the numbers by district and see how that panned out.

I would be able to I would think that Roach Francis team did much better and Saint Thomas than they did on Saint Croix.

And that's a good point because earlier and you said you were listening to us, and I did ask publicly to see someone from JJ's could run in to get a breakdown.

Yeah.

So we got we got territory and generic numbers.

Generic by district.

By district.

You need to go for the governor's race to really have a clear indication of whether or not Paul was that way off, because outside of the postal, there were other persons that were sharing that same sentiment also.

Correct?

Correct.

The senatorial race, looking at it, first of all, Kerrville just gets prolific numbers running for Senate and, you know, whatever.

What if for whatever reason, why it didn't translate to the gubernatorial race in 2022?

That's history.

Also, we saw all four incumbents in both districts made it through to the to the general election, I believe Senator Fonseca and Senator Fredricks, they finished sixth somewhere between there and between there.

That's correct.

So so we got two aspirants finishing fourth and fifth, but I believe the top three in both districts was Vela, Gittens, Joseph, Joseph, Saint Thomas.

It was every Lewis Carla Marvin Bladen on Joseph.

So that's going to be interesting.

But what are we looking forward to now is and I was talking with the boss about this earlier this week, will the Democratic Party coalesce post primary.

And I could honestly say I really don't know.

In theory you would hope they would.

But what are you doing that to me?

Explain coalesce because we are here listening.

Because I want to believe that was one of the questions that we was asking the state here.

So could you break it down with that?

And she, you know, she didn't really want.

So I want to be more candid tonight.

Yeah, right.

As a former Democrat.

Right.

First of all, numerically speaking, the party is so big, Miss Ventura, Douglas and Senator Richards that you're going to have fragmentation within anything that's big.

Right?

I believe of the what?

We have 30,000 elected.

I mean, registered voters, of which two thirds are Democrats.

So you have that issue there as well.

The lieutenant governor, you know, he said he complimented the governor for eight years.

So he's probably asking himself, like a lot of lieutenant governors did, what do lieutenant governors have to do?

Yes.

You know what I'm saying?

To be successful when running for governor, you have Senator Francis, who's a prolific vote getter like Senator VLA.

From a numerical standpoint, you would think that the ticket would be would be our numbers grabber.

However, you're not going to talk with the governor.

I'm going to be very candid with the governor and the governor.

Governor, do you believe the current situation in the Virgin Islands?

No.

Didn't translate to your endorsement having that type of effect?

Now, I know some people are afraid to ask the question.

I enjoy action, that question, you know, who do you think that that sent a message?

I mean, the lieutenant governor coming in second, you know, sending a message of to the governor that, you know, we're not going to put your lieutenant, we're not going to put your governor forward.

A lot of the things that happen in particular over the last I'd say, 90 days, could not have helped the lieutenant governor as part of the roach, as part of the Brian France Brian Roach administration, the issuance in Thomas the devastating blow last week Monday.

You know, just a number of different things that recovery in general, they probably don't believe it's they could see things with the naked eye.

So, you know, I'm looking forward to the next 90 days on Analyze This.

And you're going to be on with me sometime next week so we could break it down at some point.

We'll see if you want to take out the Constitutional Convention had for a little bit.

And come on, I love you.

Break it down.

I got no problem with that.

We're good.

Yeah.

Listen to James.

One of the things that we had discussed coming up for that, we were out here.

I said, Marcelina, and you come here for this formality.

So we.

Pretty decent.

I was like, you plan well, we are going to the same party.

Oh, by the way, I drove past the, the headquarters.

Party headquarters.

People are showing up.

I'm seeing them walking across the road.

Okay, you know how people are.

They like winners.

They like winners.

Yeah.

So that's that's what the.

What I was being spoke of earlier that we want you to to jump in and jump into, because I think we went as far back yesterday in our brief discussion about the ability of lieutenant governors running to be elected as governors, as successors to the prior administration administration.

We went back as far as Lieutenant Governor Jerry Hodge, Richards, Greg Gregory, Francis to date.

And then we right up to today.

Lieutenant governor is not translating the victories the governor wrote.

It's not it's not an easy it's the only one that we know was successful.

Is that inherited it because she.

Yeah.

Top seed person in that case was Governor King who died in office.

And then we finished the term and come back and and get two two more time on his own.

It's about ten years.

That's why I that's why I say this right all the time when we talk about the governance, if there's one thing that people can say why we really stood himself apart from other lieutenant governors was the fact that even though he inherited, due to the untimely passing of Governor Sarah King in January of 1978, he ran back in 78 and one and then had a whole term to defend in 1982, and he won again.

So that is that is greatness.

So you gotta give him credit.

No, you mentioned Derrick.

Derrick Hodge didn't have to.

Have they finally had administration didn't pan out for him in 1994.

You mentioned Greg Francis right before.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Well Greg no, it was Ken map can map was was Schneider's lieutenant governor.

He ran for governor in 2010.

He lost before he won in 14.

And in that same 14, 2014 year Greg Francis ran didn't pan out for him.

So.

And then you can't skip over our cousin.

Your first cousin.

My second cousin Richard.

That's right.

You're right.

In 2006, Lieutenant Governor James James again.

Correct.

When he divorced from Thornburgh, he ran for governor, 2002.

You know, they fell apart during the 99 to 2003 window.

He ran as an independent in 2002 wasn't successful.

So I don't know what it is.

Maybe we need to really look at should governor lieutenant governors run separately?

You know, maybe the Constitution Convention can look at that.

Or here's my suggestion.

We don't know.

Maybe we should let the governors run individually.

It's the last time I go, sir.

The governors correct individually.

And if the winner of the gubernatorial primary wants to run with one of the candidates who wasn't successful, like what happened with Obama, Biden, stuff like that, maybe we could go that route.

But for whatever reason, it's not translating to wins for lieutenant governor who wants to be governor.

Romney Lugo from a delegate standpoint, popular blown out.

I want to ask the both of you, you know, what do you both think the Democratic gubernatorial nominee now needs to do immediately tonight, or just in the coming days to broaden support beyond the Democratic base?

Well, they need to do one thing and the delegate needs to do something else.

Then they need to to do what I did when I lost in the primary and my career was ended.

They need to accept their loss and gracefully and classy.

And then the delegate, more importantly than them, she needs to reach out to them and said, I need you if I want to win.

You know, if she really believes or her and her running mate believes that, well, I don't need them or going to wait for them to come to me that that means that the party past the party isn't as valuable as it should be.

I mean, but can we genuinely expect that to happen?

I mean, I'm just thinking about the debate.

I'm thinking about the debate.

I'm thinking about the criticisms that came from the lieutenant governor to Delegate Plaskett, from former Senator Donna Gregory to Delegate Plaskett.

Both of them had criticisms of the delegate, you know, so do we realistically expect them now to see, to come and genuinely put their support behind behind their candidates?

Non-Democratic.

What's your take you in this arena about ten years long, I was here laughing because I was getting ready to say, it's time to flip the pancake that side of the pancake don't cook already.

And the other side just bubbling up with the whole ready, ready to be over.

The question that I asked myself when Marcelina asked the both of us that question is.

I am scared, confused and disappointed.

We supposed to have some other people running for governor, Lieutenant governor, and I don't know what day perception is of campaign and an election that they believe that for the past.

How many what else filing did I think so, yeah.

Yeah.

Since May didn't file to run for governor and lieutenant governor as team that they could sit down.

May, June, July.

First day in August.

Don't say nothing ain't gonna campaign.

And watching the whenever primary snowballing down a hill gaining momentum and energy and believe that tomorrow Sunday the second after Saturday the first is over at midnight that day now going to be some big considered challenger campaign and ready.

Where are these people?

That's legit.

I don't know.

I wonder who the political advisors are for for for day to have the oppression these these non-democratic independent candidate.

I don't care which one of them is is you got stuck and Nelson you have James and Bennett, Osler, Robertson, whoever else.

Potter, whoever they are, you know.

Yeah.

Bent on my own party.

How they believe that they know could start a campaign between now and the first chooses the first Tuesday November and sit a primary candidate with the type of momentum and support coming out after this primary.

Well, well, here's something.

Marcel and I spoke about this right.

The when the hard news dropped about the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, the Roads Francis team and the Fred Gregory Morehead team, they missed an opportunity.

They they jumped on Plaskett apparent non relationship with the president.

And I believe they should have really focused on the the findings or the accusations.

The allegations.

Right.

They figured, well, how is she going to help us if she can't get along with President Trump?

And to me that's a that's a inter-party, not a not an intra party.

That's an entire personal thing there with with Delegate Plaskett, because she was an impeachment manager back in 2021.

To me, they should have focused on these are the things that we want to fix when we get elected so that we're not subjected to hard saying that we aren't delivering the goods on behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands.

And I think they missed an opportunity.

They and that probably was a microcosm of how personal the the election got.

And we saw that with the debates that we had on a couple of debates before that.

So it's going to be interesting, but they got to have a sit down sometime soon because we had about 10,000 territorial votes for the for the primary.

The question now and the delegate, she didn't crack the 50%.

Remember, you win this on a plurality.

Yes.

Not 50% plus one.

So she was at 46% with the early voting.

I don't know if that number.

I think I texted that text that to you earlier.

You did?

Yeah.

I mean the math was that you are what was what was her overall number?

4000 4493.

Yes, 44 46.4%.

Correct.

And then and then the the election day numbers came in after that.

So she's pretty much around the same, to win a general election, you're gonna win 50% plus one.

Yes.

So she still has work to do to get to that number within the within the Democratic electorate and the electorate at large.

So it's going to be interesting.

And the funny part is.

You and I know that in these, one of one of the most visible things in this election is that the was talking about endorsement and Governor Brian statement about.

Continuing the administration.

I, I don't know how that party would drive it when I refer to it as a continuum care that they would, in fact, be helpful.

I'm mentioning mentioning this now is that when you look at the campaign.

Supporters for Plaskett Powder, you had.

Roach, Francis, and even in the Fred Gregory Moorehead team, you had those people who were long ago and the prior Democratic administration, then people who they working for their administration as unclassified employees.

They communicate that they have a margin of this.

Listen, I am Governor Brian.

My lieutenant Governor Roach is running.

I expect you to be in this camp.

They will ask among those those those three camp now and so now that you don't have to win by 50% plus one in a primary, you you have to win by one.

Evaluate takes in a primary.

I know that you have a winner in the primary.

And those people who are accustomed to having the bread butter and two side that they behold the four corners of the middle going far out, they they are now going to be aligning themselves to, to see, you know, what, we can continue in the process of being beneficiaries of party handout.

And and that is why I was was somewhat I don't mean to be so blunt, but I mean but this has been we appreciate your bluntness past experiences.

This is why I'm wondering what and why is the non-democratic gubernatorial candidates thinking that they have a luxury of waiting unless they have something that or they know something?

I mean, you don't know that one of them losers is coming over to support them and bring this up.

We'll see early on it.

You've been in the you've been in the arena?

Yeah, I've been in arena.

Today's August 1st the thing, the general elections, November the 3rd.

We'll find out within the next three weeks to a month who has a legitimate opportunity or legitimate chance to get some traction.

And let's face it, out of those four non-democratic teams, only one is going to really get traction.

It's hard to think two out of those four teams are going to get traction.

So we'll see how that it sounds like you have one.

I was gonna say you don't want to tell us what you are.

I want to know which one you waiting for.

Analyze this.

No no no no no no.

I could show you this now, right.

Just looking at historical.

Keep in mind.

Right.

We got four non-democratic teams.

Right.

And we mentioned Mozilla, Robertson, Benton, Merwin, Potter and Gustav James and Bennett Bennett who were who were two commissioners for the Potter administration, the one team that has had vote getters and big numbers, albeit for different races, is the Donna Stoic Nelson team.

Okay, right.

However, that was ten, 20, 30 years ago.

Years ago.

And you know, you and I know about it.

The chain of command for you.

I don't know if 20, 20 smiling.

I'm listening to you know, because we've had we've had this when we had great years and then we didn't have great years.

This is 2026, I believe, Donna story one for the first time in 1994.

That's 32 years ago.

Marcelina, the first time.

Senator Nelson one.

We ran to get a in 2004.

That was 22 years ago.

That's a long time, you know.

So, you know, we'll see how it pans out.

And I'll be looking forward to entertaining all them on the candidate speak, which we've been doing since 2020.

And, you know, we'll see how it pans out.

But by the way, I want to let the public know the hat deal.

It is what it is.

You know what I'm saying.

Don't hold it against me.

I've been rocking it for five years now, and you know what I'm saying?

So it is what it is.

And one of the interesting thing with what never said and which put the voters in a position of making these questions like, you speak about center dinosaur, that's the only elected public office title that I know that he has had.

But I also know, you know, Marcelina possibly also knows he's run for governor with at least he had about five, five different running mate.

I think it's for running, mate.

But no, no, but let me see if you got because he had he had doctor Christian 2006.

Correct.

Christian 2010 Samuel Baptist 2014.

And that fire.

The fire I 2018 Alicia Chucky Hansen.

And I don't believe he was in the 2022.

He got stood up a week before filing.

Yes, yes, but it didn't pan out, pan out, didn't pan out.

And Nelson been wanting to run for where you want me.

So because it was you said it was an announcement.

Also been wanting to run for governor.

Yeah.

Yes.

But he he's he's ran for governor.

But you remember he had the, the gentleman that have the advertisement on TV for the Indian restaurant.

Oh yes.

That was me.

Yeah.

But but he said the man was only ready for 30 days.

He didn't qualify.

Yeah, but but that that was his fate.

So I was wonderful sitting down with with historians, political historians.

We can't forget that we serve with them.

Yeah, we served with them.

So we know them, you know.

So so we but guess what?

The biggest, the biggest thing that jumped out in this 2026 primary a lot of people came out to vote.

Man.

Enthusiasm is there 10,000?

I'm glad.

I'm happy.

I'm obviously I'm happy for those in my generation seeing the increase in those numbers.

I think I've been civically engaged from before I could vote, but when I turned 18, I think I turned 18, and I think maybe the next day or so I went on.

I registered to vote.

So, you know, but I'm happy to see more of my counterparts, you know, the millennials, those in the younger generation going out and, you know, casting their votes.

You know, this primary.

And I hope that continues.

And I want to see more of you show up for general election in November as well.

To and you know, maybe next election start offering yourselves up for service.

So we'll start now, you know, immersing yourself in the Senate process in the Board of Elections, in the Board of Education, going to those meetings and becoming civically engaged.

One of the interesting thing that I want to get from before we leave, I don't know, he was being with us, but he left me the impression that I'm of the for governor teams that are no party running an independent.

You believe the one with the best chance is the one with the two former scientists, not the one with the two former commissioners.

Yes, I'll just be honest there.

But, you know, I you know, we've been involved in sports.

Upsets happen.

Yeah.

So so I'm not ruling that out, you know.

But we'll see who gets traction.

And that's what it's all about.

Now, I know one thing that it could be intimidating.

Marcelina and Lucy is that late money that came in for plaster.

Potter, you ever leave more?

That can be coming in now that she's one.

Well, that's how it works.

Oh, yeah.

Well, I the factor is, is whether or not the.

Because I wasn't talking more so about just the money factor, whether or not the nun Democratic independent gubernatorial teams are structured and organized and ready to provide.

But we know most lack of money.

What we do, we want the money, what they have a game plan.

You're talking about structure.

Yeah.

I agree to deliver and to go out there not to deliver, to deliver the win in a manner where you could go out there and to look formidable.

Yeah, well, beat the bushes.

We're going to have to continue this conversation and analyze this at some point.

Neville, I want to thank you so much for coming and sitting on and joining us, joining us.

It's been a pleasure.

I do believe that we have we're going to be speaking with Senator Kenneth Kenny Gittens shortly.

So he made it to this primary.

Thanks for being he did.

Thanks for allowing me.

So we're good.

Thank you so much.

So yes, he did make it through the primary.

Did I get a chance to see his face?

Yes.

You get a chance to see his face.

I want you to be nice to our guest, you see?

Okay.

I don't have to be nice.

He's from Fred said I'm from Frederick.

Well, we are from Frederick said.

Yeah, but all three of us from Frederick said two Westmoreland West girl and ten skin.

Then we responsible for the apartment.

He can be quite ten skin when you're ready to, especially when it's me.

Okay, well, we do want to welcome Senator Kenneth Kenny Gittens.

To the to our coverage.

Senator Gittins, how are you feeling this evening?

Blessed.

Thank you for asking.

So what do you have to say to the voters this evening who helped you to advance in the Democratic primary?

I definitely want to say a big thank you to everyone.

First, though, I give all thanks to the MIT, and then I thank the people of the of Saint Croix who came out to vote, whether they voted for me or not.

I was really impressed with the turnout of the early voting, which is measured at a champion back in the 31st legislature, I believe it was.

So again, thank you to the people of Saint Croix, and I am grateful and looking forward to continuing the work.

We have a lot of work ahead of us and I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues.

Lucy.

Good evening.

And I was talking about you before you sit down, I don't know, I tell him she was telling me to make sure.

I hope you were talking good about.

No, she said, make sure that I treat you nice.

Okay?

Yes.

That too.

That too.

I will try my best to do that.

No, no.

We enjoy having you in the hot seat.

Yes.

And let me begin by.

Imagine.

So let me begin by congratulating you, Senator, for your successful Democratic Party primary.

When I told, I told Marcelina and we were just speaking with former Senator James that the donkey races Nova knows that has race because, no, we have other bigger candidates.

I want to inquire of you, based on the early voting comment that you just made.

We were also talking about a man.

We probably need to get rid of this primary day and not have to pay money for three voting centers in Saint Croix tree in Saint Thomas, two in Saint John, and just turned the party primaries into or the voting thing where, you know, they put out enough machines over a period.

At the end, they just come in right down to Saturday on the day of the Premier.

In comparison to taking on those type of expenses.

I know you, you don't trust each other, so you're free to have a convention.

And devil, you don't trust each other in the primary, but I don't want you to get me in trouble with my fellow Democrats.

Let's listen to you.

And I say that because I am.

And I hope I wouldn't fall on the sword.

No, but I speak truth.

I'm the only Democrat that vote against a budget for a party primary.

That's true.

So I'm saying I was hoping that you didn't take me in that angle, you know?

But but but you did.

But I never supported that because it's not all inclusive.

It's not an open primary to everyone.

And this is public funds that's being used.

So now we're looking at the early voting, which I do want to give full credit to former Senator Adelbert Bryan, who brought the idea to me.

And I ran with the idea in the 31st legislature.

So to you, Senator Bryan, I say thank you.

It's been a real success.

I think this is the second of seven times that they have probably done the early voting, that we had such a grand turnout.

So I'm saying when I saw the numbers of early voters this term, I was wondering whether or not the election system and the board will meet the strategies to decide if to open three polling places, because more than half of what you would have expected to vote in the primary election have already cast their vote.

And so I look at how we spending the monies.

So you as you noted, you were the only one to vote against funding the using taxpayer, the only Democrat to vote against funding the Democratic primary because, you know, not not being open to everyone is do you think that that's some legislation that you think you would be willing to put forward is to allow it to become an open primary, to tell you, you know, one man, one vote is 15 of us.

It must have at least eight of us together.

Measure passed.

I in my second term was the junior senator that championed the revision of the teen.

Went through that code section by section, along with other a few other colleagues.

And in the middle of it I was already told, you know, you're going to get that by, you know, you're going to get up by.

But we did the work.

We crossed every T and that every a former senator Brian to was there.

He was on the board at the time.

And a lot of issues that were facing today, had we addressed all those that we did during I believe that was the 31st legislature as well into the 30.

Yeah, the 31st.

It was if had we addressed those measures, things would have been a little smoother, I do believe, and just for, for clarity.

So I was I had made the initial inquiry of you not to, to put you on the spot to make you feel like you have to fall on your sword.

I think we for you arrive and was able to join us.

We were really concerned about $275,000.

Yes, I am concerned as well.

Primary and and whether or not we need to revisit it.

And then the other portion that Marcelina inquire of you, I don't think you you you responded to her initial part, first part of her question.

What are you will support open primaries, open primaries.

Since we pay in 250,075 275.

I'm sorry, 25,000 275,000.

Should the primary.

I am not a Democrat.

I pay, I don't get tax returns, I pay taxes, so should I be able and primary days and days to come in and ask for a ballot and vote for a democracy?

Your statement.

That's why at times I feel as if I'm standing on the limb all by myself, because here it is.

The measure passed.

But you didn't hear the public outcry and this that you all are taking my taxpayers money to do this and I can't participate, so I'm standing alone.

Listen, my mother isn't here today, but bless her, she's a wisest person that I have known.

And so this is like, what, the alpha dog back for me.

But I will speak truth and I don't support it.

I don't like it.

And I think that we do need to revisit it now, whether or not it needs to be an open primary.

I mean, we could have a conversation.

Do you need a primary at all?

And if I may, and I'm going to finish with with this with this last thing very briefly, just because I tell you, you, you, you're going to let the some of the Democrats upset with me.

No, no.

Very briefly, I only and I only want to say something else because it goes right back to the first thing I said.

I said when you sat down, which is because of lack of trust that the Democrats who are elected in the legislature feel that they cannot trust the party to conduct a free, fair and transparent election without unless the government put money in it so we could move to something else.

So let me move on.

Yeah, I done like I tell them all the time, if you don't trust the party, don't run under the party.

Exactly.

All right.

We're going to take those final words from you, Senator.

Get in.

Congratulations again this evening.

Thank you so much.

Again.

I thank the people of Saint Croix.

Thank the people of the territory for participating or in the overall process.

We have a lot of work to do, and I'm liking what I'm seeing.

And I do think that we would have a group that will work hard and feverish to move these islands forward.

All right.

Again, thank you.

I am and thank you for joining us.

Thank you for joining us.

All right, Senator Gittins.

Now, Lucy, I want to talk us about something.

I think it's very important that we know before we finish out this evening, the Virgin Islands could possibly elect, you know, its first woman as a governor with the Plaskett Potter team advancing into the general election.

And if they continue to be successful, we will have the first, for the first time in Virgin Islands history, a woman leading the territory.

What do you think that says to.

You're a you're a girl dad as well.

So you have daughters, a whole three of them, you know.

What does that say to you know, what do you think that says to to to the young women out here in the territory, you know, about women in leadership?

I think as a territory, we have over the past decades elected on women in public office.

We have not had.

A competitive candidate running for the office of governor, who was a woman over some long period, as competitive in the context of them being able to, in fact, come out of the primary, which we this is the second time that we have we've had one, but we've also had Ruby Ross, who's who has run for governor.

We've had Lorraine Berry, who ran for governor with Sinclair Williams.

I think she was in the primary also and lost the primary.

And back then you could change your your still file to run for office.

So she lost in a Democratic primary where it would have been sent to Lauren Berry and then sent us and Claire Williams, who was the running mate.

They lost and she was able.

So I think the most important statement that can be made, and I listened to the comments from, I believe was a question posed during the debate from a woman that was in Democratic Party primary that they're not concerned about being the first woman.

Yes, but the first woman to serve in a position of governor, that they are echoing, that they want to be understood and respected as one that is capable of fulfilling the office of governor and be able to lead a governance approach to the development of the board.

And I would concur with that.

And I don't think that in the past these women did not win the election because they were women running for the office of governor.

They won because the general public just wasn't prepared to accept what or not they were capable to take on the office of governor and be leaders in the governance of the territory.

I think I could disagree with you partially.

I don't have a problem with you to disagree, but I can disagree with you partially.

I do think that I do think that we do while we while women lead many of the households that we have here in the Virgin Islands, I do think we live in a very patriarchal society.

And I do think that oftentimes sometimes I think I think voters like sometimes might choke at the idea, maybe in the past.

I'm not talking currently.

You no idea of a woman possibly leading, you know, in leading the territory.

And I agree that you are entitled to to that perception.

I am simply saying that over the past years.

Yes.

The women that I knew that run for the office of governor, I believe they had the capacity to lead.

I just didn't didn't believe that they had the capacity and the opportunity provided to them to be successful in the political arena of women, a particular campaign.

And I went back to to delegate on Christianson.

I mean, she handed the last to, to the to the to the map and party team you had.

But she did win the Democratic nomination in a crowded field, I think went up against Donna Starr, Greg Francis, Malika Smith, Marvin Pickering and Gerald James.

A second.

Yes.

Well so so that speaks to your point.

It does that that she she was capable and successful.

She won a primary.

But when it came down to to the general election, I don't think that there was a discussion of whether or not we should have map as a man for governor and Donna as a woman for governor.

It was a discussion about which of these two teams will best would be best to govern, govern the territory.

And that is why I disagree with you, that I don't think that the people felt in that position, whether it was man or woman, they just felt we were going with the best team.

All right.

Well, that concludes our coverage this evening.

I want to thank you all so much for tuning in.

I am Marciana Ventura Douglas, and I'm Richards, and I want to thank Marcelina for allowing me to be a part of her very well known presentations of the news and now of the Democratic Party primary election night coverage.

Thank you all.

Thank you so much.

Have a great night.

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