Rivera-O’Reilly Endorses Mapp For Reelection

Senator Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly has endorsed Governor Kenneth Mapp for reelection, stating in a video posted online that a vote for the governor would mean continued progress for the territory. “I am asking you on November 20 to reelect Kenneth Mapp and Osbert Potter. Let us keep moving our islands forward,” Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly said.

Though she is part of the current lame duck majority, made up of mostly Democrats, Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly has been an Independent-minded lawmaker, and is known to follow her convictions. Her support for the governor follows Positive Nelson’s endorsement of Albert Bryan and Tregenza Roach last week.

In a statement issued to The Consortium Tuesday, Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly, who did not seek reelection this year, said, “For me it boils down to fairness. We cannot simply ignore the accomplishments of this administration for the sake of winning an election. Considering the territory was cut out from the bond market and after surviving two category five hurricanes we have to acknowledge that despite all these challenges, Govenor Mapp worked hard to improve conditions for all of us.

“The territory is on the right track. We are well on the way to recovery. I don’t agree with every decision the governor has made. However, I must be fair. The governor inherited a shuttered refinery and today we have a storage terminal and ongoing work towards the refinery restart. Close to 1,200 jobs at the Limetree Bay facility.”

While endorsements for the governor have been slowly building, Mr. Bryan has been enjoying sustained support from senators who make up the Democratic fold, among them Senator-elect Allison DeGazon, and outgoing senator Sammuel Sanes, to name a few. But Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly’s endorsement of the governor is notable because, like Mr. Nelson, her tenure has been one of an independent thinker who has been at odds with Mr. Mapp on a number of occasions.

“Look around St. Croix and St. Thomas. Restaurants, car rentals and supermarkets can’t keep up with the extraordinary demands. St. Thomas has several significant capital improvement projects all under the current leadership,” Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly said. “Is not perfect, nothing is, but we have seen great improvement across the territory and I would hate to see us lose momentum.”