Politics

The Virgin Islands Board of Elections debated candidate qualifications, residency requirements, and nomination petition procedures during a Monday emergency meeting that highlighted ongoing disputes surrounding the 2026 election cycle. The meeting was a continuation of Friday's board meeting, which was recessed for lack of a quorum. 

The Plaskett-Potter campaign is calling for urgent, decisive action in response to the devastating power outage that has left the residents of St. Thomas and St. John without electricity for more than 48 hours. This crisis is not an isolated incident; it is the latest chapter in a long, painful story of energy mismanagement that the people of the Virgin Islands can no longer afford to accept.

The primary ballot order is set for incumbents, first-time candidates and returning aspirants hoping to be the Virgin Islands’ next delegate to Congress, governor, senator or board member overseeing the territory’s elections or schools. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 1. 

The 2026 election field is already shifting, just days after filing closed, as Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes said several aspirants have been disqualified for failing to meet nomination requirements under Virgin Islands law.

Election season is here but how effective are political parties in the USVI? Are they vetting candidates, building coherent policy platforms, and helping produce good governance — or do they need major reform?

An estimated 27,491 registered voters in our territory did not participate in recent elections.

Nine gubernatorial tickets, 10 candidates for Delegate to Congress, and 57 legislative hopefuls across both districts: Tuesday’s filing deadline cemented one of the territory’s busiest election cycles in years, closing nomination papers and locking in crowded fields stretching from Government House and Congress to the Legislature, Boards of Elections and Education, and beyond.

Virgin Islanders have one week left to tell government officials what they think of a glowing 30-foot-long billboard proposed for the Weymouth Rhymer Highway in St. Thomas. In addition, local politicians needs to make sure their campaign ads are not posted in the territory’s historic districts, officials warned Tuesday.

Attorney General Gordon Rhea has concluded that Brett “Mac” McClafferty is ineligible to serve in the Virgin Islands Legislature, citing felony convictions and crimes involving moral turpitude tied to Ohio cases dating back nearly a decade. The opinion arrives as McClafferty shifts his political focus toward a possible run for Delegate to Congress while facing separate fraud charges in the Virgin Islands.

Brett “Mac” McClafferty, who is running for delegate to Congress while free on bail on grand larceny charges, filed an emergency motion Monday in V.I. Superior Court on St. Thomas, seeking permission to travel to St. Croix to meet with a landlord for a possible campaign headquarters.

A federal judge Thursday temporarily halted the exclusion of candidates from primary ballots following a settlement agreement between the V.I. Democratic Party and the Elections System, its supervisor and the Board of Elections chairman.  

A second gubernatorial ticket officially entered the 2026 race Thursday, as Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach and Sen. Novelle E. Francis Jr. submitted nomination papers at the V.I. Elections System office on St. Thomas ahead of the May 19 filing deadline. Their filing comes as election activity continues to ramp up across the territory, with candidates seeking offices ranging from governor and delegate to the Legislature, Board of Education, and Board of Elections formally entering the race in both districts.

After weeks of speculation, petition pickups, and growing candidate lists across both districts, the 2026 election cycle officially moved into filing season Tuesday as candidates began submitting nomination papers for public office throughout the territory.

The Elections System of the Virgin Islands announces that Supervisor of Elections Caroline F. Fawkes has been elected to serve as the Regional Chair for Region 6.

A dispute over the V.I. Democratic Party’s primary process came to an amicable end Thursday at the federal courthouse on St. Croix after two-and-a-half hours of court-ordered mediation between the party, V.I. Election System, Elections Supervisor Caroline Fawkes and Elections Board chair Raymond Williams. 

On a warm Saturday night in Frederiksted, St. Croix, Stacey Plaskett formally entered the race for governor, tapping Senate President Milton Potter as her running mate in a joint announcement that leaned heavily on experience, federal access, and a promise to turn long-discussed funding into tangible results on the ground.

The Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands has asked a federal judge to bar the territory’s Elections System from distributing nomination papers ahead of the Aug. 1 primary election, according to court records.

As the 2026 election cycle begins to take shape, a new broadcast forum is aiming to change how political conversations happen in the Virgin Islands – moving beyond familiar talking points and into something more direct, structured, and rooted in the community.

The Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands mourns the passing of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., a towering figure in American history and a global symbol of civil rights, justice, and democratic participation.

The Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands today issued an official Notice to Democratic Candidates detailing the Party’s internal requirements for certification as a Democratic nominee in the 2026 election cycle.