Election System of the Virgin Islands facility on St. Croix. Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT, V.I. CONSORTIUM
The Boards of Education and Elections, as well as the Sixth Congressional Congress, have been left wanting for members following the November 5th general elections in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is because in both districts, there were not enough candidates to meet the full number of members required for each entity.
The Board of Elections is supposed to comprise seven members from each district. However, in St. Croix, only six individuals ran, while only three contested the position in St. Thomas/St. John, for a total of nine out of the required fourteen positions. Democratic candidate Larence Lary Boschulte from the St. Thomas/St. John district received the most votes in that district, 2,934. Meanwhile, in St. Croix, Republican Liliana Belardo-Oneal secured 2,809.
A similar situation presented itself in the Board of Education race. The board should comprise four members each from St. Croix and St. Thomas, and 1 at-large member residing in St. John. According to unofficial results from the Election System of the Virgin Islands, only three individuals contested the election in St. Croix, with Mary Moorhead winning the most votes, 2,882. In that district, Emmanuella Perez secured 2,680 votes and Terrell Alexandre won the support of 1,810 voters.
The numbers were identical in St. Thomas, where Kyza A. Callwood, PhD won 3,419 votes, Nandi Sékou, Esq. secured 3,017, and Sophia del Rosario earned 1,115. In St. John, there were 135 write-in votes, however the Election System has not yet shared the name(s) of those vote getters..
While voters in St. Croix had 14 candidates vying for the seven representatives for the Sixth Constitutional Congress, St. Thomas residents did not enjoy such luxury. Only four names were available on the ballot, despite instructions to “vote for 7.” Two individuals contested the at-large seat for the Sixth Constitutional Congress.
The top seven representatives in St. Croix are:
Usie Raymond Richards — 2,950
Devin F. Carrington — 2,423
Liliana Belardo-Oneal — 2,325
John J. Abramson Jr.— 2,302
Rupert W. Ross Jr.— 2,160
Ronald Russell — 2,067
John M. Canegata — 1,763
In St. Thomas, the results are as follows:
Stedmann Hodge Jr. — 3,413
Arturo Watlington Jr. — 2,721
Rudel A. Hodge Jr. — 1,752
David Silverman — 1,431
Alecia M. Wells, with 2,816 votes, secured the Constitutional Congress’ at-large seat.
