Interview: Stacey Plaskett

I ask Democratic Delegate to Congress candidate Stacey Plaskett some questions following her exceptional victory on Saturday, August 2nd against Senator Shawn-Michael Malone and former Senator Emmett Hansen. Above, Mrs. Plaskett with two of her sons on the far left and far right, and VI recording artist ‘Pressure’ in the middle.

1) After this great victory, what’s next for Stacey Plaskett?

We go right back to work. The General Election is less than three months away and we have a lot of work ahead of us. During that time, I plan to continue to talk directly with voters and focus on real solutions to the challenges we face including our economy, the ongoing energy crisis, and improving public safety in our Virgin Islanders. To be victorious in the General Election we will need to continue to work hard and that is just what I am going to do.

2) How do you feel?

Exhausted but invigorated! It is an honor to be selected as the Democratic Nominee for Delegate to Congress. I feel an immense sense of duty to the people of the Virgin Islands. I am also grateful to my loving family, supporters, and the hard-working volunteers of our campaign, and especially the voters.

3) Have you spoken to Senator Malone?

I have conveyed my thanks to both the Senator as well as Emmett Hansen for a vibrant and well fought campaign.

4) Senator Malone said that he’ll throw his support behind you, but also confirmed that he’ll be going head-to-head with you come 2016. This sure does put pressure on you to perform, wouldn’t you say?

I will measure my performance by the results I get for the Virgin Islands. Given the challenges facing our islands, I certainly feel a self-imposed pressure to perform but it is based on my desire to help our territory and not on what others say or on a future election. I look forward to working with stakeholders who are serious about finding real solutions and getting real results for our islands.

5) Will you be campaigning as hard as you did against Malone and Hansen in the General Election?

Of course!! Campaigns are not only about winning votes they are an important opportunity to have real conversations with the people you hope to represent about the issues that matter most in their lives. The reason I chose to run for delegate to Congress was to champion solutions to those issues and advance innovative ideas that can help better our territory. A victory in the Primary Election means that we are a step closer to those goals but I know that we also have a lot of work left to do.

6) You beat a well-known Virgin Islands politician decisively, how did you get it done?

We always believed that we had a strong message, which was focused on my core belief that the Virgin Islands people should always come first ahead of any special interests and I believe that our message resonated with the voters. I also believe that representative government works best when elected officials carefully listen to people and through hundreds, and even thousands, of conversations with Virgin Islanders, we found strong support in our ideas and plans on how to create progress and prosperity for our Virgin Islands.

7) Lastly, do you think your party candidate, Donna Christensen has what it takes to face her opponents and be victorious?

Donna Christensen is a wise and seasoned public servant. I believe in her abilities and I think her candidacy is very strong.