Opinion: A Non-Voting Delegate Seat Requires Skillful Federal Leadership, Not Confrontation

Editor’s Note: The following is a submitted opinion, submitted on Sunday, July 5, by Delia L. Smith for Delegate to Congress. It reflects the views of the author and does not represent the opinion or endorsement of the V.I. Consortium, its ownership, editors, or staff.    Every Virgin Islands voter should weigh one hard fact before voting this election: our Delegate to Congress cannot cast a vote on the House floor. That reality should shape how we vote. A Delegate with no floor vote can still advocate powerfully for our district, but only if she is an effective leader.  This election is about leadership. There is broad consensus about the problems we face. Our focus must therefore shift to asking ourselves who can best persuade a Congress that owes us no favors to work on our behalf. An approach built on confrontation would either close the doors to our success or make them harder to open. The choice for voters is to elect a leader who will work skillfully w...