Nov. 6, 2002 – It's all over now but the shouting — which is in full gear — and the counting of the potentially rebalancing absentee ballots. But no matter how you slice it, the Democratic Party will have the majority in the 25th Legislature.
Democratic newcomers have unseated some entrenched, and some thought unbeatable, members of the current majority. In the St. Thomas-St. John district, St. Thomas-Water Island Administrator Louis Hill finished a strong fifth, slightly ahead of 10-term Sen. Lorraine Berry, also a Democrat. Shawn-Michael Malone is clinging to the seventh seat, 19 votes ahead of incumbent majority Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole.
The absentee ballots could change that and could conceivably also give a boost to eighth-place Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel, another majority bloc member. If both were pushed into the winners' circle, they would displace Berry, in sixth place, and Malone, in seventh.
On St. Croix, newcomer Luther Renee received the second-highest vote in the district, after fellow Democrat and incumbent Sen. Douglas Canton Jr. Renee ran unsuccessfully as an independent in 2000 election but aligned himself with the Democrats this time around, as did attorney Ronald Russell, who garnered fifth place in his first bid for the Senate. Incumbent Democrat David Jones finished fourth.
It's possible that absentee votes could move the eighth- and ninth-place finishers, veteran Sen. Adelbert M. Bryan and newcomer Juan Figueroa-Serville, into the top seven on St. Croix; should that happen, sixth-ranked independent Sen. Emmett Hansen II and seventh-place Independent Citizens Movement newcomer Raymond "Usie" Richards would be the losers.
For the moment, however, the Democratic lineup for the 25th Legislature is an eight-member majority: Sens. Berry, Canton, David, Hill, Jones, Malone, Renee and Russell.
Democrats of record Hansen and Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste, who opted to cast their lots in the current Legislature with the unaligned majority, could return to the Democratic fold now, but neither has made a definitive statement as yet. There's been no delay in jockeying for position on St. Croix, where several senators were reported to be meeting Wednesday, but their staffs would not release any information.
The power-broking begins
The Democrats ruled in the 23rd Legislature but lost their clout in the 24th. However, as Berry said on Wednesday morning, it's good to have a majority with more than the minimal 8/7 margin, which is how it now stands.
Berry was jubilant about her sixth-place finish, since she conducted the last weeks of her campaign from her bed recovering from a serious knee injury. "This is the first time that I haven't spent election day running from poll to poll," she said Wednesday.
Unaligned Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, who finished in first place, as he had done two years ago, said on Tuesday night on WVWI radio that he would align himself with whatever majority takes charge. He said he would "most definitely lobby for" chairing the powerful Finance Committee, so he could direct funding for education and health.
Berry sees no problem with that. "I am not seeking the Finance chair again," she said Wednesday. "I have done that for three terms, and that's enough." She said she wants to focus her energies on economic development. "There are many initiatives, 175 in fact, that came out of my economic summit that I want to concentrate on this term," she said.
She has several bills, including one to create a Bureau of Financial Services, that she wants to discuss with the administration before proposing them in the Senate. And she wants to move forward on creating a tourism authority, which Turnbull in his campaign speeches has said he would support.
Another concern of Berry's is her new understanding of needs of the physically challenged. "I have learned a lot about that these past weeks," she said.
Neither she nor David would comment on the Senate presidency, for which both have been rumored, but neither denied aspiring for the post. David said on Tuesday, "That is a rumor, you know; but all things are on the table." Berry was president of the 22nd Legislature; David hasn't held the post.
David said he is enormously pleased with the election of so many candidates from the Team 2002 Democratic slate and he sees cooperation ahead with Government House. "I've had a great relationship with the governor, and I think it's going to get better," he said. His focus for the 25th Legislature will be on the V.I. economy, education and crime — major problems mentioned by virtually every candidate, successful and unsuccessful.
David also said he is working on a plan to bring gasoline pump prices down on St. Thomas and St. John, a problem dear to the hearts of that district, where residents pay about 90 percent more than on St. Croix. "There is $5 million set aside in the GARVEE bonds to construct a gas storage facility on St. Thomas," he said. "This will be a big story."
The GARVEE — federal grant anticipation revenue — bonds have been issued mainly to finance the construction of the long-awaited Enighed Pond commercial port on St. John and the related Red Hook marine terminal on St. Thomas. David has been an unrelenting force behind getting the federally-backed bonds for the territory.
New face, new agenda
Malone, a former aide to Delegate Donna M. Christensen, expressed confidence Wednesday morning about getting the absentee votes he will need to retain his seventh-place finish in the St. Thomas-St. John district. "I feel I did a very good — I wouldn't say aggressive — job of addressing the absentee voters," he said. He said he sent a letter to them all explaining his agenda and seeking to distinguish himself from the other candidates.
That agenda calls for legislative reform and for visionary planning for the territory. "It's past time for crisis management, which is what we do," Malone said. "We have to stop just reacting to problems … We should be a group for the future — where are we going to be in 10 years?"
As a first-term senator, Malone said, he is anxious to do what no other lawmakers have done recently with any success. "We need governmental reform; we need to have a constitutional convention to restructure government. We are operating on an Organic Act that addressed the 19th and 20th centuries. We need to move into the 21st century," he said.
The young candidate, active in the Democratic Party from his high school days, said the Virgin Islands needs to be the English-speaking voice for the Caribbean. "We need to enhance our role in the Caribbean with Cuba coming in," he said. He sees the future of St. Croix as a technical and industrial center diversifying the territory from its tourism-dependent economy.
He also said he's committed to enactment of a comprehensive land and water use plan for the territory. This is a notion that has been around for decades, with countless senators making it a part of their campaigns. However, the territory still has no plan.
Calls to the other Democratic candidates were not returned Wednesday morning.

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Nov. 6, 2002 – Innovative Telephone's failure to pay the full $400,000 in assessments as ordered by the Public Services Commission last month drew criticism and resulted in an executive session being called during a special meeting of the PSC on Wednesday.
After a couple of rounds between Samuel Ebbesen, Innovative Telephone president, and PSC chair Desmond Maynard, commission counsel Frederick Watts said he would give legal advice to the body in executive session.
In a hearing on Sept. 30, the PSC voted to require Innovative to pay $400,000 of its $604,400 debt to the commission by Oct. 4. At that meeting, Ebbesen said Innovative was trying to resolve the matter but didn't understand all of the bills, some of which dated back to July 2001, and therefore couldn't pay them.
However, at Wednesday's meeting it came to light that V.I. Telephone Corp., or Vitelco, now known as Innovative Telephone, had signed an agreement with the PSC in April 1989 stating that in the event of an appeal of any assessment, the utility company would pay the assessment and work out the questions later.
Ebbesen attempted to convince the commission there were extenuating circumstances that forced the utility to sign the 1989 agreement, but Maynard was having none of it. "I don't believe that the commission is acting in a vindictive way, but I get the sense the commission feels Vitelco is acting in bad faith," Maynard said.
Commission member Alric Simmonds asked Ebbesen if the phone company allowed its customers to hold off paying their phone bills until any discrepancies were worked out. Simmonds, who works for the Office of the Governor, said the phone company had sent a "huge" bill to the government, "and we had to pay that bill." Later, he added, "we ended up with a huge credit."
At the Sept. 30 hearing Ebbesen had said the phone company was trying to meet with the PSC to get its questions answered and that was why it hadn't paid the bills.
On Wednesday, he said the company was making headway in understanding the vouchers related to the assessment but that, due to the Innovative Telephone and Cable Television strike, "We are all doing four or five jobs."
But Maynard said, "the ongoing labor dispute" notwithstanding, "the matter goes back to July of last year."
The Oct. 4 deadline passed without payment, but two payments of $75,000 each have been made since then. An earlier $75,000 payment had been made prior to the PSC's order. But the commission members weren't inclined on Wednesday to accept $225,000 as being enough.
"The commission asked for $400,000," Maynard said, but the company is paying "on account" instead.
PSC member Jerris Browne asked what recourse was available, and fellow member Valencio Jackson asked Watts if interest could be charged to the company. Watts deferred his response to questions for the executive session.
When the commission members came out of executive session, they would say only that they had directed Watts to write to the phone company laying out their decision on how to handle Innovative's delinquency. Neither they nor Watts would detail the terms to be laid out in the letter.
No recusal for Maynard
Before addressing the delinquent payments issue, Innovative attorney Kevin Rames attempted to get the PSC to respond to the company's earlier request that Maynard recuse himself from matters related to Innovative Telephone because Maynard, also a lawyer, represents a former Virgin Islands Daily News photographer who is suing both the newspaper and its parent company, Innovative Communication Corp., which also owns Innovative Telephone. (See "Challenge of PSC chair raises ICC questions".)
Watts questioned Rames repeatedly on where in the law Rames found anything to indicate the commission should rule on such a request. Regarding the authority of the PSC, "the statute is clear," Watts told Rames. "What right does the PSC have to interpret" a possible conflict of interest?
Rames called the V.I. Code statute an "outline," adding that a commission member should voluntarily step down if there is a conflict of interest.
"What Mr. Watts is trying to get to," Maynard then said, "is what if the person doesn't agree that there is a conflict of interest."
Watts said the attorney general is the official legally charged with deciding conflict-of-interest cases. In the end, Watts said Rames's request would be "taken under advisement," saying it was the same as a standing request. The commissioners then moved on with the business of the agenda, with Maynard continuing to chair the meeting.
Action deferred on other matters
Attorney Daryl Dodson, representing Choice Communications, formerly called Wireless World, sat through most of the agenda, which included a complaint filed by Wireless World about the rates Innovative Telephone is charging Choice, an Innovative competitor, for its broadband access. Dodson said companies elsewhere could receive 28 times the capacity for the price that Innovative is charging Choice.
Ebbesen said he was not familiar with the letter filed in July by then-Wireless World asking the PSC to exercise its authority to establish a tariff for Innovative's DS-3 broadband service. Watts agreed to give Ebbesen two weeks to review the document, saying he would put the matter on the agenda for the next meeting.
On a request by the V.I. Source newspapers to have access to the financial statements filed by all regulated companies with the PSC, Watts said the commission should first circulate the request to all of the regulated companies seeking their response. He also said he would seek the Source's legal justification for getting the documents.
Commission members in attendance were Browne, Verne David, Jackson, Maynard, Simmonds and Alecia Wells. The seventh voting member, Luther Renee, and the two non-voting legislative members, Sens. Donald "Ducks" Cole and Emmett Hansen II, were absent.

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Nov. 6, 2002 – It's all over now but the shouting — which is in full gear — and the counting of the potentially rebalancing absentee ballots. But no matter how you slice it, the Democratic Party will have the majority in the 25th Legislature.
Democratic newcomers have unseated some entrenched, and some thought unbeatable, members of the current majority. In the St. Thomas-St. John district, St. Thomas-Water Island Administrator Louis Hill finished a strong fifth, slightly ahead of 10-term Sen. Lorraine Berry, also a Democrat. Shawn-Michael Malone is clinging to the seventh seat, 19 votes ahead of incumbent majority Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole.
The absentee ballots could change that and could conceivably also give a boost to eighth-place Sen. Norma Pickard-Samuel, another majority bloc member. If both were pushed into the winners' circle, they would displace Berry, in sixth place, and Malone, in seventh.
On St. Croix, newcomer Luther Renee received the second-highest vote in the district, after fellow Democrat and incumbent Sen. Douglas Canton Jr. Renee ran unsuccessfully as an independent in the 2000 election but aligned himself with the Democrats this time around, as did attorney Ronald Russell, who garnered fifth place in his first bid for the Senate. Incumbent Democrat David Jones finished fourth.
It's possible that absentee votes could move the eighth- and ninth-place finishers, veteran Sen. Adelbert M. Bryan and newcomer Juan Figueroa-Serville, into the top seven on St. Croix; should that happen, sixth-ranked independent Sen. Emmett Hansen II and seventh-place Independent Citizens Movement newcomer Raymond "Usie" Richards would be the losers.
For the moment, however, the Democratic lineup for the 25th Legislature is an eight-member majority: Sens. Berry, Canton, David, Hill, Jones, Malone, Renee and Russell.
Democrats of record Hansen and Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste, who opted to cast their lots in the current Legislature with the unaligned majority, could return to the Democratic fold now, but neither has made a definitive statement as yet. There's been no delay in jockeying for position on St. Croix, where several senators were reported to be meeting Wednesday, but their staffs would not release any information.
The power-broking begins
The Democrats ruled in the 23rd Legislature but lost their clout in the 24th. However, as Berry said on Wednesday morning, it's good to have a majority with more than the minimal 8/7 margin, which is how it now stands.
Berry was jubilant about her sixth-place finish, since she conducted the last weeks of her campaign from her bed recovering from a serious knee injury. "This is the first time that I haven't spent election day running from poll to poll," she said Wednesday.
Unaligned Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, who finished in first place, as he had done two years ago, said on Tuesday night on WVWI radio that he would align himself with whatever majority takes charge. He said he would "most definitely lobby for" chairing the powerful Finance Committee, so he could direct funding for education and health.
Berry sees no problem with that. "I am not seeking the Finance chair again," she said Wednesday. "I have done that for three terms, and that's enough." She said she wants to focus her energies on economic development. "There are many initiatives, 175 in fact, that came out of my economic summit that I want to concentrate on this term," she said.
She has several bills, including one to create a Bureau of Financial Services, that she wants to discuss with the administration before proposing them in the Senate. And she wants to move forward on creating a tourism authority, which Turnbull in his campaign speeches has said he would support.
Another concern of Berry's is her new understanding of needs of the physically challenged. "I have learned a lot about that these past weeks," she said.
Neither she nor David would comment on the Senate presidency, for which both have been rumored, but neither denied aspiring for the post. David said on Tuesday, "That is a rumor, you know; but all things are on the table." Berry was president of the 22nd Legislature; David hasn't held the post.
David said he is enormously pleased with the election of so many candidates from the Team 2002 Democratic slate and he sees cooperation ahead with Government House. "I've had a great relationship with the governor, and I think it's going to get better," he said. His focus for the 25th Legislature will be on the V.I. economy, education and crime — major problems mentioned by virtually every candidate, successful and unsuccessful.
David also said he is working on a plan to bring gasoline pump prices down on St. Thomas and St. John, a problem dear to the hearts of that district, where residents pay about 90 percent more than on St. Croix. "There is $5 million set aside in the GARVEE bonds to construct a gas storage facility on St. Thomas," he said. "This will be a big story."
The GARVEE — federal grant anticipation revenue — bonds have been issued mainly to finance the construction of the long-awaited Enighed Pond commercial port on St. John and the related Red Hook marine terminal on St. Thomas. David has been an unrelenting force behind getting the federally backed bonds for the territory.
New face, new agenda
Malone, a former aide to Delegate Donna M. Christensen, expressed confidence Wednesday morning about getting the absentee votes he will need to retain his seventh-place finish in the St. Thomas-St. John district. "I feel I did a very good — I wouldn't say aggressive — job of addressing the absentee voters," he said. He said he sent a letter to them all explaining his agenda and seeking to distinguish himself from the other candidates.
That agenda calls for legislative reform and for visionary planning for the territory. "It's past time for crisis management, which is what we do," Malone said. "We have to stop just reacting to problems … We should be a group for the future — where are we going to be in 10 years?"
As a first-term senator, Malone said, he is anxious to do what no other lawmakers have done recently with any success. "We need governmental reform; we need to have a constitutional convention to restructure government. We are operating on an Organic Act that addressed the 19th and 20th centuries. We need to move into the 21st century," he said.
The young candidate, active in the Democratic Party from his high school days, said the Virgin Islands needs to be the English-speaking voice for the Caribbean. "We need to enhance our role in the Caribbean with Cuba coming in," he said. He sees the future of St. Croix as a technical and industrial center diversifying the territory from its tourism-dependent economy.
He also said he's committed to enactment of a comprehensive land and water use plan for the territory. This is a notion that has been around for decades, with countless senators making it a part of their campaigns. However, the territory still has no plan.
Calls to the other Democratic candidates were not returned Wednesday morning.

Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Nov. 6, 2002 – Sweet sounds of victory hung in the air in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the morning after election day, when Gov. Charles W. Turnbull greeted hundreds of well-wishers gathered at his campaign headquarters at Mandela Circle on St. Thomas.
The faithful waited until after 2 a.m. Wednesday to hear from the incumbent governor, whose unofficial tally Tuesday night gave him 50.46 percent of the votes cast as Virgin Islanders went to the polls during the day. Imaginations Brass whipped up the crowd, heady from the music and the election results broadcast over local radio and television stations and the Internet.
Turnbull hoarsely explained he had flown back to St. Thomas from St. Croix after making an appearance at a victory celebration on the big island. He thanked his supporters and promised to "improve conditions" in the territory, after having spent much of his first term resolving fiscal emergencies.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the trust and confidence you have put in me," the governor said.
Even more jubilant was the apparent lieutenant governor-elect, Sen. Vargrave Richards. He paraphrased the lyrics of an old calypso to describe the dominance Turnbull displayed in the election results over seven opponents vying for his office. "They say ten to one is murder … I say seven to one is unbelievable!" Richards said.
As the mounting unofficial tally began suggesting late Tuesday night that the incumbent Democrat had pulled off a first-ballot win, top party officials described some of the work they said lies ahead for the Turnbull administration in the next four years. Education will be a top priority, Elmo Adams Jr., Democratic Party St. Thomas-St. John District chair, said. After that, Adams said, would be an intensified effort to curb crime, address human services issues and re-build the economy of St. Croix.
Attorney General Iver Stridiron, speaking at the victory rally early Wednesday morning, said he already has received a stack of bills the governor wants prepared for delivery to the 24th Legislature, which has two more months of existence. But with the current Senate nearing its end, Stridiron acknowledged that some of the bills would not be moved until a new, Democrat-controlled 25th Legislature begins its deliberations in January.
The unofficial top seven finishers in the Senate races in each district included a total of eight Democrats — veteran lawmakers Lorraine Berry, Douglas Canton Jr., Roosevelt David and David Jones; and newcomers Louis Hill, Shawn-Michael Malone, Luther Renee and Ronald Russell.
Turnbull supporter Edgar "Baker" Phillips said he is looking forward to a unified government working on behalf of Virgin Islanders. He also expressed gratitude for actions already taken by the administration to pay wage hikes for government workers, himself included. "Everybody is happy here and pleased as to what the governor is doing. That's why they voted for him," he said.

Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Nov. 6, 2002 – Sweet sounds of victory hung in the air in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the morning after election day, when Gov. Charles W. Turnbull greeted hundreds of well-wishers gathered at his campaign headquarters at Mandela Circle on St. Thomas.
The faithful waited until after 2 a.m. Wednesday to hear from the incumbent governor, whose unofficial tally Tuesday night gave him 50.46 percent of the votes cast as Virgin Islanders went to the polls during the day. Imaginations Brass whipped up the crowd, heady from the music and the election results broadcast over local radio and television stations and the Internet.
Turnbull hoarsely explained he had flown back to St. Thomas from St. Croix after making an appearance at a victory celebration on the big island. He thanked his supporters and promised to "improve conditions" in the territory, after having spent much of his first term resolving fiscal emergencies.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the trust and confidence you have put in me," the governor said.
Even more jubilant was the apparent lieutenant governor-elect, Sen. Vargrave Richards. He paraphrased the lyrics of an old calypso to describe the dominance Turnbull displayed in the election results over seven opponents vying for his office. "They say ten to one is murder … I say seven to one is unbelievable!" Richards said.
As the mounting unofficial tally began suggesting late Tuesday night that the incumbent Democrat had pulled off a first-ballot win, top party officials described some of the work they said lies ahead for the Turnbull administration in the next four years. Education will be a top priority, Elmo Adams Jr., Democratic Party St. Thomas-St. John District chair, said. After that, Adams said, would be an intensified effort to curb crime, address human services issues and re-build the economy of St. Croix.
Attorney General Iver Stridiron, speaking at the victory rally early Wednesday morning, said he already has received a stack of bills the governor wants prepared for delivery to the 24th Legislature, which has two more months of existence. But with the current Senate nearing its end, Stridiron acknowledged that some of the bills would not be moved until a new, Democrat-controlled 25th Legislature begins its deliberations in January.
The unofficial top seven finishers in the Senate races in each district included a total of eight Democrats — veteran lawmakers Lorraine Berry, Douglas Canton Jr., Roosevelt David and David Jones; and newcomers Louis Hill, Shawn-Michael Malone, Luther Renee and Ronald Russell.
Turnbull supporter Edgar "Baker" Phillips said he is looking forward to a unified government working on behalf of Virgin Islanders. He also expressed gratitude for actions already taken by the administration to pay wage hikes for government workers, himself included. "Everybody is happy here and pleased as to what the governor is doing. That's why they voted for him," he said.

Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Nov. 6, 2002 – Sweet sounds of victory hung in the air in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the morning after election day, when Gov. Charles W. Turnbull greeted hundreds of well-wishers gathered at his campaign headquarters at Mandela Circle on St. Thomas.
The faithful waited until after 2 a.m. Wednesday to hear from the incumbent governor, whose unofficial tally Tuesday night gave him 50.46 percent of the votes cast as Virgin Islanders went to the polls during the day. Imaginations Brass whipped up the crowd, heady from the music and the election results broadcast over local radio and television stations and the Internet.
Turnbull hoarsely explained he had flown back to St. Thomas from St. Croix after making an appearance at a victory celebration on the big island. He thanked his supporters and promised to "improve conditions" in the territory, after having spent much of his first term resolving fiscal emergencies.
"I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the trust and confidence you have put in me," the governor said.
Even more jubilant was the apparent lieutenant governor-elect, Sen. Vargrave Richards. He paraphrased the lyrics of an old calypso to describe the dominance Turnbull displayed in the election results over seven opponents vying for his office. "They say ten to one is murder … I say seven to one is unbelievable!" Richards said.
As the mounting unofficial tally began suggesting late Tuesday night that the incumbent Democrat had pulled off a first-ballot win, top party officials described some of the work they said lies ahead for the Turnbull administration in the next four years. Education will be a top priority, Elmo Adams Jr., Democratic Party St. Thomas-St. John District chair, said. After that, Adams said, would be an intensified effort to curb crime, address human services issues and re-build the economy of St. Croix.
Attorney General Iver Stridiron, speaking at the victory rally early Wednesday morning, said he already has received a stack of bills the governor wants prepared for delivery to the 24th Legislature, which has two more months of existence. But with the current Senate nearing its end, Stridiron acknowledged that some of the bills would not be moved until a new, Democrat-controlled 25th Legislature begins its deliberations in January.
The unofficial top seven finishers in the Senate races in each district included a total of eight Democrats — veteran lawmakers Lorraine Berry, Douglas Canton Jr., Roosevelt David and David Jones; and newcomers Louis Hill, Shawn-Michael Malone, Luther Renee and Ronald Russell.
Turnbull supporter Edgar "Baker" Phillips said he is looking forward to a unified government working on behalf of Virgin Islanders. He also expressed gratitude for actions already taken by the administration to pay wage hikes for government workers, himself included. "Everybody is happy here and pleased as to what the governor is doing. That's why they voted for him," he said.

Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Nov. 6, 2002 – Following are the unofficial results of the Nov. 5, 2002, general election with all polling places tabulated but without absentee votes. Updated Aug. 16, 2004 to include results after the absentee ballots were counted.
Click here to see the final tally.


Governor/Lieutenant Governor (8 candidate teams)
The winning team must receive a majority, or 50 percent plus one, of the votes cast. If necessary, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters on Nov. 19.
Charles W. Turnbull / Vargrave Richards, Democrat — 16,998
John de Jongh / Paul Arnold, independent — 8,221
Alicia "Chucky" Hansen / Thomas "Eddie" Donoghue, independent — 2,663
Michael Bornn / Arnold M. Golden, Republican — 2,398
Gerard Luz James II / Maryleen Thomas, independent — 1,724
Cora Christian / George Hodge Jr., independent — 1,025
L. Williams / K. Gonzalez Jr., independent — 502
H.I. Williams / J. Marius, independent — 103
Write-ins — 50
Delegate to Congress (4 candidates)
The top vote getter is the winner.
Donna M. Christensen, Democrat — 19,484
Virdin C. Brown, ICM — 4,321
Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal, Republican — 4,163
Garry A. Sprauve, independent — 953
Write-ins — 11
Senator, St. Thomas-St. John (23 candidates)
The top seven vote getters are the winners.
Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, independent — 8,726
Carlton "Ital" Dowe, independent — 7,512
Celestino A. White St., independent — 6,642
Roosevelt St. C. David, Democrat — 6,490
Louis P. Hill, Democrat — 6,392
Lorraine L. Berry, Democrat — 6,365
Shawn-Michael Malone, Democrat — 5,951
Donald "Ducks" Cole, independent — 5,932
Norma Pickard-Samuel, independent — 5,455
Malik Sekou, independent — 4,051
Kevin A. Rodriquez, Democrat — 3,930
Nicholas "Nick" Friday, independent — 3,867
Alvin Williams, independent — 3,582
Stephen "Smokey" Frett, independent — 3,422
Winthrop Maduro, Democrat — 3,317
Ludrick Thomas, independent — 3,206
Dwayne A. Benjamin, independent — 3,004
Riise Smith Richards, independent — 2,543
Wayne "Facts Man" Adams, independent — 1,701
Gilmore Estrill Sr., Democrat — 1,172
Lawrence "Larry" Boschulte, Republican — 1,040
Patricia Varlack, independent — 557
Kevin Robert Jennings, Republican — 262
Write-ins — 42
Senator, St. Croix (19 candidates)
The top seven vote getters are the winners.
Douglas E. Canton Jr., Democrat — 6,459
Luther F. Renee, Democrat — 6,401
Norman Jn Baptiste, independent — 6,183
David S. Jones, Democrat — 6,039
Ronald E. Russell, Democrat — 5,819
Emmett Hansen II, independent — 5,422
Raymond "Usie" Richards, ICM — 5,378
Adelbert M. "Bert" Bryan, ICM — 5,248
Juan Figueroa-Serville, Democrat — 5,003
Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Felix, Democrat — 4,772
Michael Thurland, Democrat — 4,217
Hope Gibson, independent — 3,560
Noel Loftus, Republican — 3,470
Robert Acosta, Republican — 3,326
Oneida Dione Granger, independent — 2,645
Reuben Fenton, Republican — 2,115
Luis Antonio Rodriguez, independent — 1,840
Ramon Benitez, independent — 1,415
Steve Nisky, independent — 925
Write-ins — 636
Senator, at large (3 candidates)
The top vote getter is the winner.
Almando "Rocky" Liburd, ICM — 11,977
Craig Barshinger, Democrat — 10,103
Wilma Marsh Monsanto, Republican — 2,664
Write-ins 33
St. Croix Board of Elections
The top three vote getters are the winners and will join four continuing board members.
Rupert W. Ross Jr. 4,608
Evelyn Messer James 4,081
Raymond J. Williams 3,397
Dodson K. James 3,241
David A. Benjamin 2,637
Humberto O'Neal 2,065
Write-ins 28
St. Thomas-St. John Board of Elections – St. Thomas
The top two vote getters are the winners and will join four continuing board members and the St. John winner.
Arturo Watlington Jr. – 7,001
George Blackhall – 2,411
Thomas "Tom" Dunn – 2,300
Leon Alvin Powell – 2,264
Write-ins 13
St. Thomas-St. John Board of Elections – St. John
The top vote getter is the winner and will join four continuing board members and the two St. Thomas winners.
Donna F. Roberts – 3,559
Aubrey E. Bridgewater Jr. – 3,473
Write-ins 11
Here is the unofficial count after the absentee ballots were included.
Governor/Lieutenant Governor
Charles W. Turnbull/Vargrave Richards (Democrat) — 17,545, or 50.15 percent
John de Jongh Jr./Paul Arnold (independent) — 8,618, or 24.63 percent
Alicia "Chucky" Hansen/Thomas "Eddie" Donoghue (independent) — 2,715, or 7.76 percent
Michael Bornn/Arnold M. Golden (Republican) — 2,513, or 7.18 percent
Gerard Luz James II/Maryleen Thomas (independent) — 1,775, or 5.07 percent
Cora Christian/George Hodge Jr. (independent) — 1,070, or 3.06 percent
Lloyd Williams/K. Gonzalez Jr. (independent) — 519, or 1.48 percent
H.E."Ike" Williams/J. Marius (independent) — 106, or 0.30 percent
Write-ins — 122, or 0.35 percent
Senate, St. Thomas-St. John district
(The 9 candidates who, based on the Nov. 5 results, could have finished in the top 7)
Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg (independent) — 9,106
Carlton Dowe (independent) — 7,809
Celestino White Sr. (independent) — 6,859
Roosevelt David (Democrat) — 6,757
Lorraine Berry (Democrat) — 6,750
Louis Hill (Democrat) — 6,640
Shawn-Michael Malone (Democrat) — 6,205
Donald "Ducks" Cole (independent) — 6,155
Norma Pickard-Samuel (independent) — 5,633
Senate, St. Croix district
(The 10 candidates who, based on the Nov. 5 results, could have finished in the top 7)
Douglas Canton Jr.(Democrat) — 6,723
Luther Renee (Democrat) — 6,589
Norman Jn Baptiste (independent) — 6,327
David Jones (Democrat) — 6,219
Ronald Russell (Democrat) — 6,040
Emmett Hansen Jr. (independent) — 5,626
Raymond "Usie" Richards (ICM) — 5,558
Adelbert M. Bryan (ICM) — 5,423
Juan Figueroa-Serville (Democrat) — 5,131
Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Felix (Democrat) — 4,905
Delegate to Congress
Donna M. Christensen (Democrat) — 19,484
Virdin C. Brown (ICM) — 4,321
Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal (Republican) — 4,163
Garry Sprauve (independent) — 953
Senate, at-Large
Almando "Rocky" Liburd (ICM) — 12,514
Craig Barshinger (Democrat) — 10,526
Wilma Marsh Monsanto (Republican) — 2,795
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Nov. 6, 2002 – Following are the unofficial results of the Nov. 5, 2002, general election with all polling places tabulated but without absentee votes. Updated Aug. 16, 2004 to include results after the absentee ballots were counted.
Click here to see the final tally.


Governor/Lieutenant Governor (8 candidate teams)
The winning team must receive a majority, or 50 percent plus one, of the votes cast. If necessary, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters on Nov. 19.
Charles W. Turnbull / Vargrave Richards, Democrat — 16,998
John de Jongh / Paul Arnold, independent — 8,221
Alicia "Chucky" Hansen / Thomas "Eddie" Donoghue, independent — 2,663
Michael Bornn / Arnold M. Golden, Republican — 2,398
Gerard Luz James II / Maryleen Thomas, independent — 1,724
Cora Christian / George Hodge Jr., independent — 1,025
L. Williams / K. Gonzalez Jr., independent — 502
H.I. Williams / J. Marius, independent — 103
Write-ins — 50
Delegate to Congress (4 candidates)
The top vote getter is the winner.
Donna M. Christensen, Democrat — 19,484
Virdin C. Brown, ICM — 4,321
Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal, Republican — 4,163
Garry A. Sprauve, independent — 953
Write-ins — 11
Senator, St. Thomas-St. John (23 candidates)
The top seven vote getters are the winners.
Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, independent — 8,726
Carlton "Ital" Dowe, independent — 7,512
Celestino A. White St., independent — 6,642
Roosevelt St. C. David, Democrat — 6,490
Louis P. Hill, Democrat — 6,392
Lorraine L. Berry, Democrat — 6,365
Shawn-Michael Malone, Democrat — 5,951
Donald "Ducks" Cole, independent — 5,932
Norma Pickard-Samuel, independent — 5,455
Malik Sekou, independent — 4,051
Kevin A. Rodriquez, Democrat — 3,930
Nicholas "Nick" Friday, independent — 3,867
Alvin Williams, independent — 3,582
Stephen "Smokey" Frett, independent — 3,422
Winthrop Maduro, Democrat — 3,317
Ludrick Thomas, independent — 3,206
Dwayne A. Benjamin, independent — 3,004
Riise Smith Richards, independent — 2,543
Wayne "Facts Man" Adams, independent — 1,701
Gilmore Estrill Sr., Democrat — 1,172
Lawrence "Larry" Boschulte, Republican — 1,040
Patricia Varlack, independent — 557
Kevin Robert Jennings, Republican — 262
Write-ins — 42
Senator, St. Croix (19 candidates)
The top seven vote getters are the winners.
Douglas E. Canton Jr., Democrat — 6,459
Luther F. Renee, Democrat — 6,401
Norman Jn Baptiste, independent — 6,183
David S. Jones, Democrat — 6,039
Ronald E. Russell, Democrat — 5,819
Emmett Hansen II, independent — 5,422
Raymond "Usie" Richards, ICM — 5,378
Adelbert M. "Bert" Bryan, ICM — 5,248
Juan Figueroa-Serville, Democrat — 5,003
Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Felix, Democrat — 4,772
Michael Thurland, Democrat — 4,217
Hope Gibson, independent — 3,560
Noel Loftus, Republican — 3,470
Robert Acosta, Republican — 3,326
Oneida Dione Granger, independent — 2,645
Reuben Fenton, Republican — 2,115
Luis Antonio Rodriguez, independent — 1,840
Ramon Benitez, independent — 1,415
Steve Nisky, independent — 925
Write-ins — 636
Senator, at large (3 candidates)
The top vote getter is the winner.
Almando "Rocky" Liburd, ICM — 11,977
Craig Barshinger, Democrat — 10,103
Wilma Marsh Monsanto, Republican — 2,664
Write-ins 33
St. Croix Board of Elections
The top three vote getters are the winners and will join four continuing board members.
Rupert W. Ross Jr. 4,608
Evelyn Messer James 4,081
Raymond J. Williams 3,397
Dodson K. James 3,241
David A. Benjamin 2,637
Humberto O'Neal 2,065
Write-ins 28
St. Thomas-St. John Board of Elections – St. Thomas
The top two vote getters are the winners and will join four continuing board members and the St. John winner.
Arturo Watlington Jr. – 7,001
George Blackhall – 2,411
Thomas "Tom" Dunn – 2,300
Leon Alvin Powell – 2,264
Write-ins 13
St. Thomas-St. John Board of Elections – St. John
The top vote getter is the winner and will join four continuing board members and the two St. Thomas winners.
Donna F. Roberts – 3,559
Aubrey E. Bridgewater Jr. – 3,473
Write-ins 11
Here is the unofficial count after the absentee ballots were included.
Governor/Lieutenant Governor
Charles W. Turnbull/Vargrave Richards (Democrat) — 17,545, or 50.15 percent
John de Jongh Jr./Paul Arnold (independent) — 8,618, or 24.63 percent
Alicia "Chucky" Hansen/Thomas "Eddie" Donoghue (independent) — 2,715, or 7.76 percent
Michael Bornn/Arnold M. Golden (Republican) — 2,513, or 7.18 percent
Gerard Luz James II/Maryleen Thomas (independent) — 1,775, or 5.07 percent
Cora Christian/George Hodge Jr. (independent) — 1,070, or 3.06 percent
Lloyd Williams/K. Gonzalez Jr. (independent) — 519, or 1.48 percent
H.E."Ike" Williams/J. Marius (independent) — 106, or 0.30 percent
Write-ins — 122, or 0.35 percent
Senate, St. Thomas-St. John district
(The 9 candidates who, based on the Nov. 5 results, could have finished in the top 7)
Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg (independent) — 9,106
Carlton Dowe (independent) — 7,809
Celestino White Sr. (independent) — 6,859
Roosevelt David (Democrat) — 6,757
Lorraine Berry (Democrat) — 6,750
Louis Hill (Democrat) — 6,640
Shawn-Michael Malone (Democrat) — 6,205
Donald "Ducks" Cole (independent) — 6,155
Norma Pickard-Samuel (independent) — 5,633
Senate, St. Croix district
(The 10 candidates who, based on the Nov. 5 results, could have finished in the top 7)
Douglas Canton Jr.(Democrat) — 6,723
Luther Renee (Democrat) — 6,589
Norman Jn Baptiste (independent) — 6,327
David Jones (Democrat) — 6,219
Ronald Russell (Democrat) — 6,040
Emmett Hansen Jr. (independent) — 5,626
Raymond "Usie" Richards (ICM) — 5,558
Adelbert M. Bryan (ICM) — 5,423
Juan Figueroa-Serville (Democrat) — 5,131
Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Felix (Democrat) — 4,905
Delegate to Congress
Donna M. Christensen (Democrat) — 19,484
Virdin C. Brown (ICM) — 4,321
Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal (Republican) — 4,163
Garry Sprauve (independent) — 953
Senate, at-Large
Almando "Rocky" Liburd (ICM) — 12,514
Craig Barshinger (Democrat) — 10,526
Wilma Marsh Monsanto (Republican) — 2,795
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Nov. 6, 2002 – Following are the unofficial results of the Nov. 5, 2002, general election with all polling places tabulated but without absentee votes. Updated Aug. 16, 2004 to include results after the absentee ballots were counted.
Click here to see the final tally.


Governor/Lieutenant Governor (8 candidate teams)
The winning team must receive a majority, or 50 percent plus one, of the votes cast. If necessary, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters on Nov. 19.
Charles W. Turnbull / Vargrave Richards, Democrat — 16,998
John de Jongh / Paul Arnold, independent — 8,221
Alicia "Chucky" Hansen / Thomas "Eddie" Donoghue, independent — 2,663
Michael Bornn / Arnold M. Golden, Republican — 2,398
Gerard Luz James II / Maryleen Thomas, independent — 1,724
Cora Christian / George Hodge Jr., independent — 1,025
L. Williams / K. Gonzalez Jr., independent — 502
H.I. Williams / J. Marius, independent — 103
Write-ins — 50
Delegate to Congress (4 candidates)
The top vote getter is the winner.
Donna M. Christensen, Democrat — 19,484
Virdin C. Brown, ICM — 4,321
Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal, Republican — 4,163
Garry A. Sprauve, independent — 953
Write-ins — 11
Senator, St. Thomas-St. John (23 candidates)
The top seven vote getters are the winners.
Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, independent — 8,726
Carlton "Ital" Dowe, independent — 7,512
Celestino A. White St., independent — 6,642
Roosevelt St. C. David, Democrat — 6,490
Louis P. Hill, Democrat — 6,392
Lorraine L. Berry, Democrat — 6,365
Shawn-Michael Malone, Democrat — 5,951
Donald "Ducks" Cole, independent — 5,932
Norma Pickard-Samuel, independent — 5,455
Malik Sekou, independent — 4,051
Kevin A. Rodriquez, Democrat — 3,930
Nicholas "Nick" Friday, independent — 3,867
Alvin Williams, independent — 3,582
Stephen "Smokey" Frett, independent — 3,422
Winthrop Maduro, Democrat — 3,317
Ludrick Thomas, independent — 3,206
Dwayne A. Benjamin, independent — 3,004
Riise Smith Richards, independent — 2,543
Wayne "Facts Man" Adams, independent — 1,701
Gilmore Estrill Sr., Democrat — 1,172
Lawrence "Larry" Boschulte, Republican — 1,040
Patricia Varlack, independent — 557
Kevin Robert Jennings, Republican — 262
Write-ins — 42
Senator, St. Croix (19 candidates)
The top seven vote getters are the winners.
Douglas E. Canton Jr., Democrat — 6,459
Luther F. Renee, Democrat — 6,401
Norman Jn Baptiste, independent — 6,183
David S. Jones, Democrat — 6,039
Ronald E. Russell, Democrat — 5,819
Emmett Hansen II, independent — 5,422
Raymond "Usie" Richards, ICM — 5,378
Adelbert M. "Bert" Bryan, ICM — 5,248
Juan Figueroa-Serville, Democrat — 5,003
Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Felix, Democrat — 4,772
Michael Thurland, Democrat — 4,217
Hope Gibson, independent — 3,560
Noel Loftus, Republican — 3,470
Robert Acosta, Republican — 3,326
Oneida Dione Granger, independent — 2,645
Reuben Fenton, Republican — 2,115
Luis Antonio Rodriguez, independent — 1,840
Ramon Benitez, independent — 1,415
Steve Nisky, independent — 925
Write-ins — 636
Senator, at large (3 candidates)
The top vote getter is the winner.
Almando "Rocky" Liburd, ICM — 11,977
Craig Barshinger, Democrat — 10,103
Wilma Marsh Monsanto, Republican — 2,664
Write-ins 33
St. Croix Board of Elections
The top three vote getters are the winners and will join four continuing board members.
Rupert W. Ross Jr. 4,608
Evelyn Messer James 4,081
Raymond J. Williams 3,397
Dodson K. James 3,241
David A. Benjamin 2,637
Humberto O'Neal 2,065
Write-ins 28
St. Thomas-St. John Board of Elections – St. Thomas
The top two vote getters are the winners and will join four continuing board members and the St. John winner.
Arturo Watlington Jr. – 7,001
George Blackhall – 2,411
Thomas "Tom" Dunn – 2,300
Leon Alvin Powell – 2,264
Write-ins 13
St. Thomas-St. John Board of Elections – St. John
The top vote getter is the winner and will join four continuing board members and the two St. Thomas winners.
Donna F. Roberts – 3,559
Aubrey E. Bridgewater Jr. – 3,473
Write-ins 11
Here is the unofficial count after the absentee ballots were included.
Governor/Lieutenant Governor
Charles W. Turnbull/Vargrave Richards (Democrat) — 17,545, or 50.15 percent
John de Jongh Jr./Paul Arnold (independent) — 8,618, or 24.63 percent
Alicia "Chucky" Hansen/Thomas "Eddie" Donoghue (independent) — 2,715, or 7.76 percent
Michael Bornn/Arnold M. Golden (Republican) — 2,513, or 7.18 percent
Gerard Luz James II/Maryleen Thomas (independent) — 1,775, or 5.07 percent
Cora Christian/George Hodge Jr. (independent) — 1,070, or 3.06 percent
Lloyd Williams/K. Gonzalez Jr. (independent) — 519, or 1.48 percent
H.E."Ike" Williams/J. Marius (independent) — 106, or 0.30 percent
Write-ins — 122, or 0.35 percent
Senate, St. Thomas-St. John district
(The 9 candidates who, based on the Nov. 5 results, could have finished in the top 7)
Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg (independent) — 9,106
Carlton Dowe (independent) — 7,809
Celestino White Sr. (independent) — 6,859
Roosevelt David (Democrat) — 6,757
Lorraine Berry (Democrat) — 6,750
Louis Hill (Democrat) — 6,640
Shawn-Michael Malone (Democrat) — 6,205
Donald "Ducks" Cole (independent) — 6,155
Norma Pickard-Samuel (independent) — 5,633
Senate, St. Croix district
(The 10 candidates who, based on the Nov. 5 results, could have finished in the top 7)
Douglas Canton Jr.(Democrat) — 6,723
Luther Renee (Democrat) — 6,589
Norman Jn Baptiste (independent) — 6,327
David Jones (Democrat) — 6,219
Ronald Russell (Democrat) — 6,040
Emmett Hansen Jr. (independent) — 5,626
Raymond "Usie" Richards (ICM) — 5,558
Adelbert M. Bryan (ICM) — 5,423
Juan Figueroa-Serville (Democrat) — 5,131
Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Felix (Democrat) — 4,905
Delegate to Congress
Donna M. Christensen (Democrat) — 19,484
Virdin C. Brown (ICM) — 4,321
Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal (Republican) — 4,163
Garry Sprauve (independent) — 953
Senate, at-Large
Almando "Rocky" Liburd (ICM) — 12,514
Craig Barshinger (Democrat) — 10,526
Wilma Marsh Monsanto (Republican) — 2,795
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Nov. 6, 2002 – The voting for the territory's two Boards of Elections is always overshadowed by the high-stakes gubernatorial and Senate races, but, like those more prominent races, they often produce a change of faces in places where decision-making affects a broad segment of the population.
Each district Board of Elections has seven members. The St. Thomas-St. John district one consists of five members from St. Thomas and two from St. John.
Territorywide, six of the boards' 16 seats were on the ballots in Tuesday's race.
In the St. Croix Board of Elections race, two of the three incumbents running for re-election lost their seats. Dodson K. James, who chairs the seven-member board, and Humberto O'Neal were ousted, while colleague Evelyn Messer James hung on to her seat.
Dodson James and O'Neal will be replaced by Rupert Ross Jr., the top vote getter, and Raymond Williams, who placed third. Unsuccessful challenger David Benjamin trailed Dodson James.
The unofficial tally Tuesday night for the St. Croix board was:
Rupert Ross Jr. — 4,608.
Evelyn Messer James — 4,081.
Raymond Williams — 3,397.
Dodson K. James — 3,241.
David Benjamin — 2,637.
Humberto O'Neal — 2,065.
Ross, Evelyn James and Williams will join continuing board members Ana Davila, Carmen Golden, Reuben Fenton and Arthur Joseph.
In the St. Thomas race, two seats were up for grabs: those of George Blackhall, whose term expires in January, and of Shawn-Michael Malone, who ran for a seat in the Legislature (finishing seventh in unofficial results). The territory's election law prevents a person from running for two public offices in the same election.
Voters returned Blackhall to his post and replaced Malone with former Sen. Arturo Watlington Jr. Challengers Thomas Dunn and Leon Alvin Powell finished out of the running.
The unofficial St. Thomas results were:
Arturo Watlington — 7,001.
George Blackhall — 2,411.
Thomas "Tom" Dunn — 2,300.
Leon Alvin Powell — 2,264.
On St. John, where Donna Roberts' seat expires in January, voters gave her another term with 3,559 votes. She beat out Aubrey Bridgewater Jr., who got 3,473 votes.
On the St. Thomas-St. John board, Watlington, Blackhall and Roberts will join Larry Boschulte, Phyliss Massac and Kevin Rodriquez from St. Thomas and Alecia M. Wells from St. John.
The two boards oversee elections in their respective districts and set rules and regulations governing their conduct. On occasions of territorial interest, they function together as the Joint Boards of Elections.
In that capacity, they established a rule last summer that prohibited campaigning within 1,000 feet of polling places on election days. The St. Croix board subsequently backed off, returning to its former 25-foot restriction, leaving the 1,000-foot rule in effect for St. Thomas and St. John, except that on Monday a District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order against its enforcement for Tuesday's elections. A court hearing is set for Nov. 14 on what the permanent fate of the more extensive restriction will be.

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