US Virgin Islands Democrats choose Plaskett and Potter to lead November ticket

Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) and Senate President Milton Potter (D) won the United States Virgin Islands Democratic primary on August 1, 2026, securing the party’s nominations for governor and lieutenant governor ahead of the November 3 general election.

Plaskett, who has represented the US Virgin Islands at-large congressional district since 2015, earned 47% of the vote—4,742 ballots—defeating Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach (D), who received 3,212 votes, and former Senator Donna Frett-Gregory (D), who received 2,101 votes. Potter earned 47% of the vote as well, defeating Novelle Francis Jr. (D) and Rodney Moorehead (D). Voter turnout reached 50.43%, with 10,551 total ballots cast.

There were no incumbents in the race. Governor Albert Bryan Jr. (D), who has held the office since 2019, was term-limited.

Plaskett’s winning campaign centered on leveraging federal resources to deliver reliable electricity, modern hospitals, completed schools, and affordable housing for US Virgin Islanders. As the territory’s delegate to Congress since 2015, she has operated within a federal role that carries significant limitations—the delegate cannot cast a final vote on the House floor, and US Virgin Islanders cannot vote in presidential elections, making the governor’s office a direct shift toward executive authority over the territory’s day-to-day governance.

Potter, who has served as president of the US Virgin Islands Legislature since January 2025, complemented Plaskett’s federal experience with a focus on the territory’s banking, insurance, and government systems, advocating for greater banking competition, additional training for financial regulators, stronger employee development, and greater government accountability.

Plaskett and Potter announced their candidacy in April 2026 on a “People Powered, Ready to Deliver” platform, centering issues including healthcare, electricity, government services, and fiscal accountability.

In the race for delegate to the United States House of Representatives, Janelle Sarauw (D) led with 5,167 votes, followed by Delia Smith with 3,202, Teri Helenese with 848, and Emmett Hansen with 522. Sarauw, a three-term former senator from the St. Thomas/St. John district, ran on a federal strategy centered on equity, growth, and self-determination for the US Virgin Islands. Her platform prioritizes securing fair healthcare funding by eliminating the Medicaid cap and modernizing hospital reimbursement formulas, conducting aggressive federal oversight of FEMA-funded infrastructure projects including those tied to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, and advocating for Jones Act reforms to reduce the high cost of shipping that drives up prices across the islands.

On democratic rights, she has called for legislation to expand the practical authority of the delegate’s office and for congressional hearings examining the continued application of the Insular Cases, the century-old legal framework that continues to deny full constitutional rights to territory residents. She has also made the rum cover over a central economic issue, arguing the fixed rate of $13.25 per proof gallon has not kept pace with inflation or production costs and should be replaced with a dynamic formula tied to market conditions. Sarauw will face the independent Shelley Moorehead in the November general election.

In the legislative races, seven seats were decided in each of the two districts. In the St. Croix district, Kurt Vialet led with 3,698 votes, followed by Kenneth Gittens, Clifford Joseph, Nemmy Williams-Jackson, Lisa Charles, Hubert Frederick, and Jose Besse Gonzalez. In the St. Thomas/St. John district, Avery Lewis led with 2,897 votes, followed by Marvin Blyden, Carla Joseph, Rudel Hodge Jr., Shenelle Fina Francis, Ray Fonseca, and Joel Browne Connors.

Plaskett will face independents Oakland Benta, Adlah Donastorg, Gustav James, and Warren Mosler, while Potter will run against independents Randolph Bennett, Positive Nelson, Merwin Potter, and Colin Robertson in the general election on November 3, 2026, for the open seat at Government House.