Good evening, and thank you for joining our live coverage of the 2022 primary election.

I'm your host, Ernest Gilbert, founder and editor in chief of the Virgin Islands Consortium, and I'm pleased to partner with the WTTG for this special program.

I am here with my co-host, the knowledgeable former senator from a district chair of the Central Board of Elections and former chairman of the Joint Board of Elections.

We're here at the election system of the Virgin Islands Office on Saint Croix.

Amongst all the excitement and energy to make sure that you, the viewer, get the latest results straight from the source.

Not only are we on your television sets on TV channel 12 tonight, we are also live on WTTG, FMM 93.1 and streaming live on WTTG on the V.I.

consortium's website and Facebook pages.

The president, good evening to the viewers and listeners this evening.

Earnest today is the culmination of the primary election cycle, the final day for Democrats to cast their ballots.

This is a gubernatorial election cycle which usually garners more voter interest than the mid-year elections.

On top of that, you'll see we have the district senatorial races and the Senator at Large contest, which I know everyone will be in attention to.

Stay with us tonight as we bring you all the results in real time, live from the office of the Election System of the Virgin Islands.

And also this evening we have Marcelo Ventura Douglas and Andrew Douglas at the Election Systems Office on Saint Thomas.

And they'll keep us up to date throughout the night and bring us live interviews.

How is it going on, Saint Thomas?

And welcome.

Good evening Ernest.

Good evening.

Good evening to everyone.

Us out there watching and listening.

My name is Andrew Douglas, and I'm Marcelina Ventura Douglas.

And we're here providing you guys with all of the things that's happening here at the at the center.

Excuse me?

At the Saint Thomas Saint Thomas office of the Election Systems.

So it's been pretty quiet, but it's starting to get a little bit busy.

We're waiting for the judges to come in with those thumb drives that are going to have those results.

So we'll be here to keep you updated.

Back to you guys in the studio.

See you soon.

And not only will we be providing results tonight, we'll have key interviews with stakeholders that we anticipate that will bring us a truly busy night throughout the evening.

All right.

Tonight we will see some hopefuls move forward to the general election.

Ballot winner lose.

There's a lot of energy that goes into campaigning as I know you know, and we just want to wish everyone a good luck this evening.

And so.

Well WTTG cameras.

You know, they've been all around the islands.

The vote the voting centers throughout the territory.

And here is what voters had to say about this primary election.

I came to the polls today because it is my duty and my right to vote.

We live in a society where we vote for our leaders, and if we don't practice what we can to elect our leaders, we really are missing the point.

There are so many places in the world where people have no say in who leads them, and we do, so why wouldn't anybody try and practice the right they have?

As an American, well, I believe in all elections, not just this election, but all the past.

I think it's a right.

Come out and vote.

I mean, I guess it all started with my grandparents and my parents is just a traditional thing that we go to and express our rights to vote.

So, you know, you can't say anything unless you vote.

It is my privilege, right, and responsibility to come out and participate in the governance of the territory where I live, where I practice, where I have family and friends, and I want to see a better future.

I believe that if we don't step out and do something, who's going to do it for us?

You know, and being a Virgin Islander, I think it was important for me, you know, to come out and support the people that I believe, you know, support the people of the Virgin Islands.

Well, I'm a foreign believer that it's a civil rights to vote and being a double minority, a woman and black.

Lots of people fought and died for us to get this right.

Even when men could vote, women couldn't.

Even when black people got to vote, women couldn't say, I refuse to give up this right.

I'm very concerned with all of the processes that are taking place at this time, due to the fact that we have to do something.

To do nothing means we won't accomplish anything.

So I see that this campaign is a time for change.

What motivated me to come out and be part of the process is I wanted my voice to be heard.

I know that voting is not required by law, but it's a privilege that we have and it's part of the democratic process.

And I wanted to be able to make sure that my voice, my vote is heard, and it impacts what happens next.

Well, the governor, Governor Brian, and doing very good.

So come on, give them a vote.

I came out to support a particular candidate.

I want to make sure they had a fair chance of getting in into the general election.

All right.

So welcome back.

You know, we're right here in the studios on site WTTG.

We are at the election system, and we're hearing the reasons why people are voting, giving different reasons why.

I love the commentary that was shared today at the various polls.

And one of them is a little pet peeve of mine.

And a couple of the folks I mentioned it.

Voting is actually a privilege.

It's not a right.

It's not a civil right.

It's not a constitutional right.

And had it been a right, then there wouldn't be an age requirement.

We won't have a requirement to be a resident, right?

You won't have the requirement to be a citizen.

And so when I listen to some of the campaign ads and the impression that is left without with our voters and people in the community that this is a right, right.

We have had to pass legislation to reinstitute the right of individuals who are convicted of a felony that have already served their term and their time in jail, and are now back out in our community.

We had to pass a law locally that allow these individuals to go back and be on the rules of the vote the voters list and also exercise this privilege of voting.

So I just wanted to to definitely touch on that, that little pet peeve, pet peeve that I had.

Well, you know, and speaking of folks coming out to vote, we're looking at some numbers we're seeing here.

And if we were to round off tonight, we would say about 7000 and overall 2018 numbers.

Primary election, you had nearly 10,000.

So 9896 people turn out to vote in the primary election in 2018.

And here we are seeing at 6 p.m.

it was 6543.

We could run out of, say, when the polls close to about 7000.

I mean, that's a that's a big drop.

You know, it is a fact that a big job.

But there are a number of items we have to take into consideration.

I believe in 2018, there was actually was it three candidate teams?

Yes.

Because Patterson.

Yes.

And you had the the team that the current candidate is running for.

Senator Maurice James ran with him.

Yes.

And then Angel Dawson, I believe him.

Yes.

And then you had Brian and the current governor.

Yeah.

And in 2018, just for those three gubernatorial teams in a Democratic primary that draws more people out.

That draws more people out.

And at that time, they were challenging in non-democratic gubernatorial ticket that was already in office.

And so there was that big strive to be the of the Democratic Party in the general election in regards to the gubernatorial teams.

And so but but do you think there are any other factors though?

So are people do people feel disenfranchized discouraged by the process?

You know, one, the current administration promising change course now, you know, some some folks will say, you know, we've changed course.

Some others may say, well, you know, we're not sure.

Do you think folks are just discouraged altogether with with the system discouragement, maybe an appropriate use use of that word?

I would also say some folks may find themselves being disillusioned about the expectations that they may have had when they cast votes in 2018 for a governor ticket, or some folks might just be simply fed up.

And of the belief that I'm exercising this privilege to vote actually does not bring any change to their livelihood, to their family, to their lifestyle.

And I think as we speak about the important issues that people want and look forward to being addressed, there are a number of societal issues that are not being addressed in a complete manner in the minds of the voters, given the some of the polls that we've listened to, and there's been at least 2 or 3 different type of polls, and that creates some, some concern for the voters.

That may have been one of the reasons why they may have gone out today in the primaries.

Speaking of those polls, and we were looking at the recent rotten poll, and they had the top issues that Virgin Islanders, you know, see, that's on their mind.

But before we go to that, you have the gubernatorial candidates, Governor Albert Bryan and currently and the contenders can bring in Oakland better.

And that poll showed bent Oakland, Kent and Oakland giving the governor a good, good, good run on Saint Croix.

However, on Saint Thomas, the governor seems dominant.

Why is that so?

Some folks would say this governor should probably walk through this because you have, you know, candidates who are not so popular in some people's minds.

You know, the Oakland is is popular.

But Ken Bernier, you know, the governor should probably walk through this, this this primary.

What do you what do you think about the numbers we are seeing on Saint Croix as it relates to the gubernatorial race?

Well, I would would not make a presumption that the governor should be walking through this particular race, particularly when we speak about here on the island of Saint Croix.

And when we look at the Poland as a healthcare professional, I always used to be of the belief, and I'm still of that firm position at home.

Health care should be the number one issue in any society, because if you're not healthy, you can't pursue an education, you can't pursue employment.

And given the status of health care in regards to to facilities, and I think in particular we need to look at the hospitals.

And more importantly, I think on a consortium, just a couple of days ago, there was this big issue that you brought to light in regards to the the morgue.

And that is these are a very serious and touching issues to the community and what we what we saw from the percentage of persons that which was the highest percent that they ranked health care.

Number one is that they are concerned about being able to pursue a livelihood in some healthy conditions and in a healthy atmosphere.

And I believe the other issue that came about there in Nepal was was education.

So you had you had the highest issue was health care at 35%.

Wapa came in second at 30%.

Then you had education at 20 and crime at 15.

And so those are the top concerns of Virgin Islands.

And that's a that's an interesting thing to know that the water and power authority and our ability to maintain the provision of electrical services throughout the entire territory, in addition to they call it potable water.

The word portables implied that the water is drinkable.

So even the communities experience with the the electricity going off and on having potable water that in their minds and by what they see come through their pipes is not drinkable, not usable.

Sometimes you can still use it to wash your clothes, right?

These are these are things that are tangible to our community.

And I believe particularly here on Saint Croix, there are a number of individuals, a number of communities, a number of families that are experiencing these types of hardship that are near and dear to them, that they think needs to be addressed.

And when we speak of Wapa, one of the most important things that are uncomfortable to to my mind, I believe we were discussing this arm of air a couple of days ago.

Was was the infrastructure.

And our infrastructure is important from electricity to the conditions of our highways, our roadways, our bypass, whatever we want to label them at.

I think people see this as a tangible issue that needs to be addressed.

And then that may why we see Wapa and I would married Wapa into the category of infrastructure.

What do you think about the crime matter there?

Interestingly enough, despite the fact that.

Not a nice time to say or a nice view to to share in this public forum that the islands have the highest per 1000 population of deaths by criminal acts, that in the Caribbean and in some in most places, I believe in and in mainland United States.

I was surprised that that our community did not put crime as one of the number one issues above healthcare, but by nature, they want to be healthy.

They want to be able that they could safely enjoy the services of a water and power authority.

And criminal activity is something that, in my mind, should be high on that list.

Indeed.

Indeed indeed.

All right.

So we're going to hear from the voters.

Candidate is somebody that I can trust, somebody that I can approach and have a conversation with, somebody that's transparent and somebody that will listen to the voice of the people of the territory, somebody that's very concerned with our elderly, our children, and has solutions to the problems that we are addressing.

Now.

Primarily, I'm looking for honesty, reliability, integrity.

I'm looking for individuals with the ability to have foresight to see the future, understanding that we have to learn from the past.

Moving forward.

Number one is education.

You know, you know, that's something that I believe, I think is crucial to to any nation.

A lot of our youngsters need to realize that school is very important for them.

And anyone that is pushing for education, I think it's something that is really needed.

You know, in our community, the hospital, we shouldn't have to be worrying about getting sick and having to be transported elsewhere for health benefit.

Like no.

Currently, the cost of living in the Virgin Islands actually worldwide has just skyrocketed.

It seems to me like right at this particular point where hovering on the precipice of a recession.

And so what I'm really looking for is to see an ease with regards to all of the aspects of life, like Wapa and food costs and travel and health.

All of those aspects are just going through the roof, and I'm looking for some sort of ease, some sort of assistance with that.

Welcome back.

Welcome back.

And we have our first interview guest with us tonight, state chair of the Democratic Party, Mr.

Benjamin will introduce herself.

Good evening.

Good evening, fellow Virgin Islands and my good friend and and the moderator.

And secondly, for all the Democrats in this territory.

First of all, I want to say thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve at this moment and to make sure things are together going forward.

All right.

I am Cecil Benjamin.

I serve in this capacity for in and out for about, I think, five, five terms.

And I have done some work with the Department of Labor as commissioner.

I saw Labor Council president, I saw as the president of Saint Croix Federation of Teachers.

I was so I also serve as vice chair of the Gers and co-chair of the Virgin Islands Labor Management Committee.

As far as I remember, these things that I've done over the years, and I did not put myself there.

People of devotion Islands put me there, and I saw very well I intend to continue, but just for the next probably term or cycle, I may call it.

At this moment I'm currently training, coaching and mentoring some Young Democrats.

I think I see at least six of them that were ready to pass the baton on, and hopefully they can be standing our shoulders and to do better.

All right.

So we have a few questions for you.

You know, it's been a busy day hasn't it?

Yes.

Very busy.

Busy.

Okay.

And you know, I wanted to jump straight into this question.

So you have, you know, a contender to the governor in the Democratic primary, a Democratic contender at that.

And, you know, some would say, you know, you've shown favoritism to the current sitting governor when he has a challenger that is also a Democrat.

What does the party laws or rules say about a situation like this?

Good question.

First of all, there's absolutely no law policy.

No nothing like that.

You know, about on a charter at the national level.

But there is a something I want to explain to you what happened.

We I attended the opening of the brand.

Roach at quarters was invited to that as chair of the party.

And I also the national committee woman as a couple other leaders.

And of course, statements were made at a time when we had no knowledge absolutely about who else is running.

Nobody wrote to the to the organization, nor the party, nor the leadership.

Say, well, look, we are prepared to run.

We are going to extend our candidacy to this party and nothing whatsoever.

So we did what we did at that moment, thinking that, well, this is a candidate ready to be reelected and sovereign is second term mission statement.

But an insight in hindsight insight.

But I think we may want to say is that that was unfortunate.

What it wasn't done deliberately.

It was done based on the circumstances.

What's taking place there?

No other candidate really address their candidacy to the party.

Mr.

chairman, I think I'm I don't know about earnest.

I'm a little confused with your response.

The you're implying that if someone wants to run for an public office and a party office, that the process for filing your candidacy includes a notification to the state chair or the members of the Democratic Party territorial committee?

Is that what you're saying?

So that you didn't?

So when did that line for filing was over and the supervisor of elections issued all of the candidates that had filed their petitions?

You're saying that you weren't aware that there was a challenger in a race?

No, not not formally.

What about rumor?

Of course.

No, no.

The question was, were you aware at the end of the deadline for filing, that when the supervisor election made public, all of the candidates who are running for public and party office, you weren't aware of who these candidates were?

No.

Because, you know, when I was done, that was done later in the month, I believe about the 29th of May, the statement that made at the opening of the Brian Roach squadrons on May 10th.

And folks need to look at that.

Okay.

I mean, like I said, you know, when you look back and say, hey, maybe you should probably not have done that, but they're absolutely no knowledge of anyone saying, well, to the party or to anybody that, hey, we are willing to run.

Want you to know we're planning to do so.

But after the Board of Election officially put out all the candidates somewhere around the 29th, then we get to know that day.

Fine.

We have to deal with all those candidates.

Just for some clarification, you were, if I may, on this last question, you were state chair during the during the term of.

The young Francis when they ran for for reelection?

Yes.

Did they had a challenge us then?

Yes.

And did you or any one of the leadership of the party endorse the incumbent prior to the conduct and the completion of a primary election?

Not to my knowledge at the time, because the fact that everything was known at that time, I was running when and for what?

So if I, if I was in Benton.

Yeah, you would see why.

I would feel totally upset if the president, who was already established that the leadership of the party took a impartial role.

Well, the president back then, yes, I do understand why by not taking a position until the primary was conducted.

You don't understand your point.

But the president has been set under different circumstances.

You see, what's happening now is something we have never experienced, what we are experiencing this year with respect to the challenge.

We have always honor embraced challenges, and it has been established from the time the Democratic Party has been able to elect the first governor, there has always been a challenge.

There has been a challenge for Alexander Farley when he ready to rerun, and there have been a challenge for Turnbull, there have been a challenge for young.

Let me ask you what what is unprecedented about this, this particular because of the fact that we had no knowledge of anybody else at the time that we made a statement.

And like I said, looking back, if we had known that, we might not have done that because we have not done that in the past, in the past, we know up front and so that this challenge X, Y, Z, and finally just worked together.

And so since you found out what actions did the party take to bring parity to the matter?

Well, we have reached out to them and tried to let them understand that this is a process that we must follow, must work together.

You you are opposing and comment.

Nothing wrong with that.

There have been a pause in the past and we can accommodate that.

But we must do it in a very civil, intellectual and responsible way, as the party would claim.

In the past we have done that without candidates, and that's what I'm saying.

This is so unprecedented.

I don't know what actually caused situation to just, you know, snowball like this.

It should not have forced place.

You believe we are not we're not we're not really any.

If you notice, there were absolutely no criticism coming from the organizations we tried up to now.

We started talking to this.

I met them today.

We talked yesterday.

I extend you know, just contact say, you know, today is going to be a day.

What are you going to do the next day.

And you treat them as Democrats.

There was no there's no fight here.

There's no enemy.

I started the concern.

All right.

I was going to ask, do you believe so?

You're saying that your endorsement of the the Brian Roche, Governor Brian and Lieutenant Governor Rochon reelection was not precipitated by the fact that you are a candidate.

Also, at the time, your candidate?

No.

Candidate?

No.

Yes.

Up to the night?

Yeah.

Because you are in the capacity of the state chair of the Democratic Party by by default.

Yes.

Because you lost the prior party election to your former AFT president counterpart in Saint Thomas, Indiana.

I believe his name, Glenn Smith.

Yes.

And you took over his position?

I'm wondering in my mind, I wonder if you decide to give this endowment endorsement and the hopes that the other Democrats that gather around the incumbent governor would also cast a vote for, you know, today, today in the primary has absolutely nothing to do with that.

And so does the party has any control over members of of of the committee, members of the party itself who have got seats in the party and certain roles.

There are any rules to govern how the how they reflect in the community and how.

Yes, certainly.

Certainly.

Well, well, we've seen I have personally seen endorsements of one candidate over the other.

Explain some of those rules then.

Well, basically there is a rule that actually, once we are aware of the folks that are running under the party banner, we should not really endorse any one of them until after the primary.

So that is that is basic and that has been enforced once.

Once we are aware of that, then we don't do that.

But in many instances, sometimes we don't know.

Folks apply to run under the banner.

And at a time when many situations have been taking place with respect to invitation going there, open up research quarters and what have you.

Absolutely.

I think we like I want to say it was done in a very innocent manner.

And like I said, if war, if we knew that this one, we would not have done that.

Because since after that point today, nobody went out and do anything like that from my perspective or from the National Committee woman perspective, or somebody else would accused of doing that.

We all said that.

Maybe it's just unfortunately that that happened, but we should not make it a big issue whereby we are saying that we separate them over there and then we work together with them.

So, you know, and finally here, if you look over the years, the Democratic Party is the dominant party in the territory in leadership, whether it's the Senate, mostly the majority or whether it's the executive branch.

You've mostly had the Democratic elected governors question to you.

Are you pleased over the years with what the democratic rule of the territory has been able to accomplish?

Are you pleased with where we are today?

Certainly.

Certainly.

You're pleased with where the territory is?

Yes, I'm really pleased with that.

I mean, in a short space of time, I think we have done quite a bit under the Democratic pillar.

You know, let me see how many times at least we were in governance.

Governance.

We have.

You had you had Rafferty first and then we have Turnbull, you have John Down and all three of them.

So the two year, 24 years.

Yes, that's 24 years then.

Now we have about Brian and Roach and, you know, trying to do the second term.

But yes, 24 years.

But then let's go back.

Now.

Look, from the time after the inception of the after elected governor bill was passed in 1968.

That was implemented in 1970.

From that time to now, we can safely say that they are positioned or ICM plus, I've also run this administrative government for about among the same amount, the same amount of time.

So I don't know what what the what's the point you're trying to make.

But it is true that if we look at the late King Tom and then Wang Louis and then of course he was there, you did his 2000, 2000 plus one, and then it was 12 years.

Yes.

And then you have Doctor Schneider.

Right.

And then you also have Kenny Map.

Okay.

And put them together.

You will see that it has as close as possible is 20, 22 or 24 years that we're talking about the most.

I think you miss earnest, earnest question.

He was asking whether or not you satisfied and proud with what the Democratic gubernatorial administration have done during the time that they were in office.

Yes.

And what about it that you are satisfied with that you would promote here basically restricted property?

Yeah.

What I'm.

Let me take you back to the development of this territory and the progress that have been made under the Democratic Party and picking out the top of my head.

We look at we look at the University of Washington.

That's a big deal.

We look at all the way to the complex that we have.

I'm looking at the College of the College of Islands.

Wasn't was appointed governor thing.

Yeah, but it was under Democratic administration, isn't it.

That's what we're talking about.

Appointed a point where the appointed or elected, it's a Democratic administration, isn't it?

So we can start there and and we can talk about the industries that came under Democratic administration, like the soil.

We have some manufacturing.

Manufacturing.

Entities, like watch factories or pharmaceutical companies and of course, roads.

We talk about building of Melvin events where we can go on and on.

Let me make it very simple so that people could understand.

I could come forward and talk about what's happening today for the little man to understand.

You may ask the question today.

Where did you where were you born?

In Saint Croix.

Somebody say, no, that's not a special nut.

Hanson.

No hospital.

That's what many of them would tell you.

Now, you take that at that level and then go forward from that level to Louis Aspira.

And that shows me physically there's some kind of improvement there.

And we can go on and on with the schools.

So and we show I'm trying to answer your question.

Yeah, but just for clarity.

Because we know we know we have listeners.

Yes.

You came to you went to CVI.

In what year help you with your record in CVI in the in the in the sixth in the 70s.

70s.

Okay, yeah.

So the College of the Islands, when I came under.

Melvin Evans, the last appointed and first elected governor.

Yes.

Okay, so it wasn't it was the Republican Melvin Evans.

Yeah.

Okay.

And so in addition to that, when you mentioned the hospital, those things were constructed in finished opened in 1982.

I am positive I work work in that particular field and for the department in regards to the construction of the 90s, but I'm not quite I can't figure out some of these project projects started was under under the Wang Louis administration.

It started under one.

I just tried to make sure that was completed.

We talking about well, with the construction started sometime we can finish.

Yes.

Okay.

You got to look at just want to make sure that it was completed.

All right.

Good.

Right.

Well, to to just go forward a little bit because I was taking you back and bring you all the way up.

But just recently, if you look at this Democratic administration for the past three and a half years, I really I'm impressed with them.

And I'm proud of what they have accomplished in that short space of time.

And we they came in with a promise of change, and they made certain commitments.

And they have actually child these commitments they delivered.

We we look at things that impact the lives of the people working people.

They focus on things about the people, issues of human concern.

You talk about some monies that have been owed for probably close to 30 years.

I negotiated the last contract.

I negotiated with the teachers sometime.

Must have been the late 90s or mid 90s.

And that's that's one of the biggest thing.

Okay.

And now they're taking care of all of that going back to nearly 30 years that this government, all teachers in this territory.

And we can go we can go on and talk with the tax returns.

We can talk about the saving of the the Gers and all that other things, but they're going to do that for themselves.

So we are proud as Democrats that these things are being done under their administration in three and a half years.

All right.

All right.

Mr.

Benjamin, thank you very much.

And thank you for joining us.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you for sharing with us.

Thanks a lot.

We appreciate your time and good luck tonight.

Unfortunately, the time is just a little more shot.

So we should show me a little bit more.

You know what?

I'm glad you know, you and I. I don't blame it on me.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you for having you.

Thank you.

All right.

Lara's going to want to talk about the Senate race, the Senate race both on Santa Cruz and in the center of Saint John district.

What are we looking at on Saint Croix in terms of new candidates compared to the incumbents in the Democratic primary?

Well, when we look at the Democratic primary senatorial, primarily for the district of synchro, we have a number of incumbents that are running for election.

Unfortunately, to the listening audience, if I call the names is just based on memory, not on the fact of the order on the ballot, but we have the incumbents like Genevieve Whitaker, Novell, Francis, you have Kenneth Kenny, you have James.

Yes.

And then you have a couple of challengers, or at least three challengers who have run.

Yes.

Previously Ophelia Williams.

Jackson.

She's run, according to her, at least three times.

Diana Capehart is a former senator that was successful in a primary and got reelected in the general election.

Mr.

Troy Williams ran two years ago, ran for the senatorial office.

And so that it's going to be interesting to see how many of the newcomers get into that seven, and how many of the incumbents stay within the seven to move on to the general election?

We are also Hubert Frederick.

They're Hubert Frederick, and we also have Maurice James, who ran, I believe, a couple of decades ago.

Yes, yes.

As a youngster, she's back here as a mature person, an attorney running for the public office of center.

And so it's going to be very interesting.

And so we want to do some comparison in terms of the different districts on how they vote.

But let's look at the let's look at Saint Thomas, the senatorial race over there as well.

We have some newcomers as well.

But Saint Thomas votes differently in terms of how how they keep traditionally how long they keep individuals in compared to Saint Croix.

If we could bring up the the central Saint John candidates there.

You're looking at Keeshan Kay Lewis there.

That's that's one of the youngest candidates.

K.J.

Lewis is in his mid 20s or something like that.

Running for senator.

Yes.

Of course.

Milton Porter, Marvin Blyden, those are all incumbents.

And then we have Joel S Brown Connors, Lawrence Basalt.

What do we know about basalt?

Well, I know I've carried a number of different party labels for different public offices.

My memory serves me correctly.

The him running as a Democrat is not the sole party that he's run for public office with his board of Education board election, that he may have been a candidate under a different party.

One of the things that I recognized that you stated earlier was this subject matter of traditionally, yes, traditionally in the district of Saint Thomas and John, the voters are, I don't want to call it.

I'm tolerant, but but they give their senatorial candidates and those person that serve in the office of center, they give them a lot of rope before they decide it's time to pull them in.

We we in Saint Croix, they pull the rope.

They cut your neck quick.

I mean, we have had a number of one time senators in the district of Saint Croix.

In my mind, I am trying to reach back and my mind probably is getting old.

I can just reach back over the past couple of years and say, oh, oh, that's a one term center for the district of Saint Thomas, Saint John, you know.

So so they have actually got the opportunity to be recognized by by the voters in the Saint Thomas and John district with the tradition of, okay, you may have been slow, you wasn't fast enough or you didn't act quick enough during your first time.

And we're going to give you another chance.

Right, right, right.

Saint Croix, that doesn't fly so easily I don't know.

No.

You know, we're quicker with that.

You know, there's also a very interesting senator at large race going on.

You know, we have current Senator Angela Baucus, who is a candidate in the Democratic primary.

And very interesting.

You had you have former Senator Stephen Payne, who is also in the at large race in the primary.

What happened there?

I mean, you know, the consortium, of course, we broke a story in April relative to some allegations against the senator.

Fast forward to July, a couple of days before early voting started.

Mr.

pin was expelled and ball case was quickly voted by the Democratic Party to feel that seat quickly and quickly sworn in.

However, he is still on the ballot boxes on the ballot and pain is on the ballot.

And so let's see a hypothetical here.

If Mr.

Payne were to be successful tonight, Baucus would remain senator in the 34th legislature, but Payne would be sworn in in the 35th.

Isn't that right?

Well that's correct.

The the one legislature cannot bind another legislature in regards to their actions.

So I believe this particular resolution is the 34th legislature, of which Mr.

Baucus now center.

Baucus has been sworn into office to complete the term of the former Senator Payne.

Yes.

If, in fact, the members of the Democratic Party that are registered Democrats that went out to vote today throughout the territory, whether they're on the island, Saint John, Saint Thomas of Saint Croix votes for Clarence Payne for the at large seat.

Stephen.

I'm sorry.

His brother Stephen apologize.

Clarence.

Senator Stephen Payne.

Then he will move on to the general election to face a young lady that was running, I believe, Sherry and Francis, Sherry and Francis.

And so those two were about love for the seat.

If, in fact, Senator Pain is not successful in the Democratic primary, then center Baucus will move on to the general election to face Sherry and Francis in the general election.

Indeed, indeed.

That's true.

And so, you know, speaking of something we mentioned earlier on, and how quickly or send Crowley moves faster in terms of, of of getting rid of candidates.

Do we know why that is the case or the that two has some that tradition, but some historical factors that some individuals may echo from time to time throughout the community?

You would hear people on that.

We have social media forums before social media forums.

We were still a member of the Caribbean that in America this baseball and and Apple their pastime well in the Caribbean talk show and politics is our past and we put that down first and so on the talk shows individuals say, oh you see that center, Gilbert?

You know, honest.

We put into office.

And as soon as he returns and Thomas Tommy and he forgets.

But we could.

And so that has been a talk that people have used for from time to time.

And I believe I would probably wait until the results come out to go into a further commentary with this and Saint Thomas and John issues in regards to senators voting, and most of the time is just a perception.

Yes, yes, because we are in fact individuals who are voting for person to serve as district senators with no real arm at large representation.

Right?

Right.

So the people will say, well, in Saint Thomas and Saint John district, they got eight votes.

Right, right right right, right.

Their last senator has to be a resident of the island, Saint John, which makes him a resident of the district of Saint Thomas and John.

And so we already down by one.

All right, all right.

So we are waiting.

We're waiting for the numbers, and we're expecting them to come in soon.

The polls of course, close by.

Now let us talk about, you know, those who came out to vote early voting, you know, over 4000 individuals came out.

And when we look at the numbers you're seeing, the boomers had the highest turnout, followed by generation X that came that was followed by the silent generation, then my generation, the millennials.

And then coming after that generation Z. So generation Z the younger.

Some of the generation Z folks cannot vote as of yet, but we have some of them in the 20s, my generation, I'm the oldest of them at 40, the millennials.

And so my generation, we we have age, you know, to be in leadership positions and to essentially take the mantle.

But we haven't seen that quite yet happening.

If we were to go by the early voting numbers, we saying, why is it my generation isn't out there at the polls?

But you remember when we were you and I was discussing this data?

Yes.

I had to remind you and you had to inform me at at my age, I don't know what this generation X, Y, Z, baby Boomer.

And you keep telling me I'm a baby boomer and I don't know how I could still feel like a bouncy maybe boy after after collecting Social Security.

I don't know about the baby boomer, but.

And I'm sure there's a lot of people out there in in the audience following my category.

We're a little slow.

We don't know all these adjectives and description of of age groups.

So.

So when we when we look at the numbers for, for the early voter turnout by, by age, we saw in, in Saint Croix, in Saint John and Saint Thomas, for persons who are 55 years and over up to 75, they represent the largest majority of people that went out to vote.

Boomers.

Oh, that's who we are.

Yes.

Okay, so I could pass as if I'm still 5055 years in the baby boomers group.

And then the frightening part, at least in the early voting, we had between 18 and 24, we just had 25 people voting yes, three in Saint John and 39 in Saint Thomas.

And it didn't get that much better for the 25 to 34 age group and the 35 to 44 year group.

It wasn't in the hundreds in Saint Croix and in Saint Thomas the 35 to 44 had 170, but they had a larger 170, but 25 to 34 they only had 71.

And when we were discussing this, I was saying to myself.

Not a justification, but an observation.

And particularly those persons, you know, 75 and over, 65 and over, we've had the experience of seeing seeing these individuals go out on Election Day, you know, standing, standing, long lines, lines winding around different polling places, people waiting.

And they see this as a great opportunity for them to to go out, cast a vote early, have no long lines, and they cast in the vote.

Now, I can say this for what your generation, millennial millennium.

I'll say this for the millennials or at my age.

I said it's just for the young people, not the young people may have been waiting to go out a day, which has been an assumption that I was making because they like the flair, the excitement of being out there Sunday.

But then when we see the numbers as of 6:00 today, I say, well, not even that excitement.

Whether or not they have people dancing in the street supporting their candidates, different individuals going up against each other to say, well, this is my candidate.

So if that is not the case and it didn't go out today, it says to me that it's going to take a whole lot of energy for the candidates.

Yes, to stimulate the interest of the younger population, to get them out there for November.

The whether or not we're talking about on the day of general election.

Whether or not we're talking about early voting.

And that is a it's a scary thing because the majority of our policies and decisions being made by the elected leaders, in most instances, affect them the most, since they represent the largest numbers within the populations of the Netherlands.

And so in my generation, you know, we've seen a lot from, from from young, you know, we've seen a lot of crises, right.

You know, the grit, the Great Depression in 2008, there we were, we were young.

But I'm saying there was a depression.

Well, compression.

Depression and recession.

But but listen, what happened was we faced crisis, many crises, my generation.

And I'm wondering whether whether it is that, you know, we just feel disenfranchized we don't feel like or we had to make our own way become entrepreneurs and not quite we're not quite as engaged as we should be in the political process and some of the factors as well.

But I'm wondering if that is contributing to the kind of numbers, the low numbers we're seeing as it relates to the millennials going out and not even taking taking up positions in public office as the generation before us.

And that is a point that I would agree with you with, because not only have they faced a number of crises, and in some instances, individuals in that particular age group may feel that they've experienced neglect.

They ask themselves the particular question, so what it is when I vote for Santa on his Gilbert and he got elected, what is he going to do for me today?

I mean, is this going to put food on the table?

Am I going to be ensure that I would have an opportunity for a quality employment?

Am I going to be able to have a quality housing environment and homes?

And so that is that's not a molehill.

That's a mountain that is required climbing for for government as an entity to become relevant to our younger people.

And there are some that are experiencing it.

They are some that have had organizations because when I was a young person out, out, fresh out of college, we had a group of youngsters that farmer organizations and we called in the elected leaders, questioned them, had public forums, and then we were one of the only groups during that time that after the forum are done, we made it public who we were endorsing.

Right, right, right.

And then later on down the road we had they said now that they elected a governor, we had generation now.

Yes, yes, yes.

And they and they and they was not quite.

Decisive in making them public who they are saying that they will support or whatever, but they involve themselves in political activities since generation.

Now they are the leaders of today who are now in public office and holding public positions with as directors, commission, commissioners, superintendent, whatever the titles are, there hasn't been an organized group of young people putting themselves together to to try to have an impact and the policies and the decisions that are being made that impact their life, mostly than any others.

Indeed, indeed.

Well, our cameras were out asking voters what voting means to them.

It's a privilege to vote when you don't vote.

Your voices can be heard.

Trailblazers make things possible.

Make this day possible for us.

So you should vote.

It means everything to me.

Democracy.

Freedom.

It means at all.

For me, voting is basically me taking on the mantle of the responsibility of living within my community, within my neighborhood, with the family.

Voting is my voice being heard.

My little teeny tiny voice actually counts in this process, and I definitely want to have my say, well, if you're not in it, you can't really complain.

So you've got to be in in the system to vote in order to get your issues heard, in order to have a say in how your government is run for the next four years.

So it's behoove you to participate within the electoral system and have your vote count.

This is absolutely nothing to be unsure of.

This is something that you must do.

This is something that we have fought long and hard to actually have this particular privilege, and our ancestors have gone in front of us to do all of this.

And so it is your responsibility to cast a vote, to give your input in the community that we're living in.

All right.

Welcome back.

And so we see we're hearing we have numbers from the Carnegie Voting Center.

And Arthur Richard's out in West.

That's that's in now.

And you're trying to tell me that the votes from the first that don't beat the votes on Central Real were here.

Yes.

And we're coming from an island.

Okay.

Indeed, indeed.

And so, you know, we should be having some numbers soon.

Knowing what's going on as as the numbers come in, you know, we see we back in the day, you know, candidates were able to run in one party during a primary, for example, if they were not successful, they would jump, you know, skip parties and, you know, do all sorts of things to try and get elected.

There was reform to to change that.

Yes.

And at one point, I believe my life I introduced it some some election reform that that that eliminated the opportunity for candidates.

To run in a party primary, losing the primary, pick up a petition and come back to it to run as a no party candidate.

Right.

And that's is something that existed for for a number of time.

If my my, my memory serves me correctly, the farmers, late Senate President and Barry have ran in gubernatorial primary.

At one time, she was a candidate with Sinclair Williams.

She was a lieutenant governor candidate with Judge Ross.

But they were the raspberry team.

And you had the the Barry Williams teams, and not just in a gubernatorial level, but when she lost the primaries to run for governor, she was able to turn around and file a petition, even under the same party affiliation, and ran for senator.

Oh, was she successful?

She got reelected.

Wow.

And one of the things that that that Senator Barrier supported at the time when she was in the legislature with me, was an amendment that had introduced that require you to run as registered.

So we've had in the past individuals who were running as independent and no party candidates.

But when you go to the Board of Elections office, they are registered Democrats.

Right.

So so though they were registered as a member of a Democrat or a registered as a Icma or to a registered as a Republican, they ran for public office as an independent, chosen not to run under the party that they registered under.

And so the amendment changed that the amendment required.

And so with that alone, which is one of the interesting things you let me just touch on one of these lists, that you was going to bring that for us.

Yeah, I was.

Go ahead, go ahead.

Because we have like we look at the team.

Yes, yes.

Of veneer and bent.

Brannon Rhodes, VLA and Sara.

Yes.

And Piccard and Tombo.

And you have threatened Miller?

Yes.

Out of all of these eight candidates, the only candidate out of the eight of them that have never been a member of a other party that he's running under now is the current governor.

Yeah.

But all these other candidates have either been a Democrat, they've been ACM and they've been independent, and they come back and change party.

I don't know if a poor Republican the party didn't try the Republican Party yet.

Right.

But the point is, is that.

People are I don't know how they used to do it in the past.

What your finger and you put in the air and you're trying to say which way the wind is blowing and determine that I'm going to run.

A Democratic candidate is the largest number of registered voters, or Democrats are my likelihood of telling people I'm a Democrat and you are registered Democrat that as a Democrat you're going to give me a vote or whatever.

So it takes a great a lot, a lot of courage to run as a or as a Republican, but not as an independent.

Independent is the second largest group of voters territory.

Void.

What are you doing this evening?

And so we're going to come back to that because I want to elaborate a little bit, but we got the election supervisor with us this evening, Miss Caroline Fox.

Of course, I want you to introduce yourself.

And then we're going to question it again.

Good evening to the audience.

Caroline Fox, supervisor of elections.

And I'm glad to be here with you both this evening.

Yes, it's been busy.

Right.

Tell us about today.

Well, I started out in Saint Thomas.

I was over there from Wednesday to make sure everything goes well in that district.

And I started off visiting the sites in Saint Thomas from 615 this morning, making sure they're ready.

Then I head off to Saint John, and I came back to Saint Croix about 430.

Then I headed to Arthur, Richard's then Central High School, and Gator again.

I would say the turnout is low, kind of expected, but it's very low 7%.

If we did 13% for the early voting, we thought we'd at least have 15%, 10 to 15% in 2018 because we like statistics.

So I make sure I pull some records.

So you compare like elections 2018 being a primary for the governor, it was 31% turnout.

So again you could see the drop.

But again that was 32,000 voters.

Now we have 34,000 voters 697.

So it kind of compensate.

But it's still not what we expected for the resource that we have to put out to get ready for an election in Saint John.

We end up paying the folks there more than we got votes at calabash Boom, eight person showed up to vote, but we had nearly seven person working.

What type of financial resource goes into preparing for from early voting to a primary election?

What are we looking at?

Well, cost is dictated by the law for the workers.

So you have judges, clerks, they all have a salary for the one term.

You have caterers, you have the election ballots, the equipment that you need.

Sometimes you have to rent equipment, chairs and tables, etc.

to some places that don't have that security company, the security machines overnight early voting.

We pray for the places that we had to use this time, because a lot of the schools are condemned or not working.

So we had to go to Saint Joseph.

We had to pay.

We went to Tutu Park Mall.

So, you know, that's a big money we had to pay.

But it's worth it because voting is what is needed for the experience and the atmosphere.

So we have to make sure we get a place that's a condition that's comfortable for the workers and the voters.

And so just to get a sense of an estimate, you know, just to give people the importance of coming out to, to vote, what are we looking at?

Well, the senators gave us $150,000 for this primary, which was not enough in the past.

We used to get 250,000.

So I think they looked at one of the wrong election, which gets the input from OMB.

Well, yeah, because it makes up all the elections.

I think they looked at the election when we had Rodriquez and Saro, they gave us 150,000 then.

But that was one district.

Right now you have a primary that's territorial.

It can be 150,000 prices gone up.

Even the food for the caterer cook in Ghana, inflation you know.

So you have to pay for all of that.

How did you compensate?

Well it's been over budget.

Well Senator knows but so in the wisdom though because it's supposed to give us a general and the primary, they put in the general supplemental, but they did not specify it for general.

So we're going to use from that.

And when I go to testify in August 17th, I will tell them I need the balance of the money for November election.

And again, we're preparing that if there may be a runoff.

So that's another part of money.

But right now we requested 425 for the general.

We got 350,000.

So we're looking at that.

But it costs to do an election.

That's interesting.

And I want to to first begin with the supervisor of elections and someone that I had at least three times, 12 years in the election system.

I want to begin by congratulating you, the members of the Board of Election and your staff for the marked improvement of the conduct of primary and general elections and the access of registered voters to to the process.

Because I remember I was there when we had severe visor Henrietta Tudman.

I was there when day we set a process to to hire John Abramson junior, as a supervisor of election.

And we had Lula Paris and Corrine Halyard and Miss Bridgewater, all the Saint John.

So for me, I see great work being done.

Now, I don't know if this is a question that you should answer, but it's a question that I'm going to going to throw at you as we speak today.

The law requires political parties to conduct their own primaries.

Is that correct?

Well, the law is kind of confusing, Senator.

Okay.

Because it says party slash public and it caused a confusion.

And for the last four or more years, we ask the legislature to clarify that public office is different than party office.

Most persons are stating that they should conduct their own party election.

You look at it, if they conduct their own public elections and you say you talk about the party, right?

If you're not a pain member or do you might not be able to participate, they might close it out to you being a Democrat.

That's not if it's public.

That's not a problem for me.

I'm just saying, in general, these are the concerns that we're hearing in the public.

And so they prefer that the election system do it because they think conducted the thing is fairer and it will be better manage.

Every Democrat who is able to participate, not just dues, pain or whatnot.

So I don't know.

But that's something that may rectify itself very soon because, as you know, the RNC filed a federal case two days ago.

Yes.

About that.

And they included all parts of the law.

And hopefully that will solve it for one and all party.

And I'm glad you mentioned that, because I was getting ready to go down that road because the Republican Party, local locally and the Republican National Committee now are going to court to try to have some clarity on this.

But when you responded to to Ernest, question that we are saying we have 7000 people that voted today territory wide.

That's why I'm calling to be to Eastern Saint Thomas, Western Saint Thomas Christiansted, at a cost of close to $175,000 and 70 to 175,000 is a lot of money.

It is a lot of money.

And that is a concern now.

And I'm glad that that you made it public.

And I think that is something that that I'm hearing for the first time from the supervisor of elections and the members of the board of election and the supervisor, they are the supervisors boss.

It is the both responsibility to to pursue this public policy.

That's correct.

And I am surprised that for the past four years, I don't know, honestly, the news I had in the news, but he he does news.

We haven't heard the election system through the board saying to the to the legislature, vanilla we need this law clarified.

No not that we didn't hear you, but we haven't heard it as a public issue being being out there so we could make sure the legislators are con on your request because it is the board's job.

The first election reform bills passed by legislature came from the Board of Elections.

That's correct.

We we sat down and went through the page by page, and then we submitted and lobbied the senators to adopt them.

Well, Senator, I want to correct that statement, because you remember a couple of years ago, when I was 16 or 18, the party took us to court because we remember that we decided that we weren't going to do the primary.

So they did put the board, did put up a challenge.

We went to court and the court said we have to conduct it because the legislature passed money.

But so so that's that was the if they passed a law that we must do it, then we got to do it.

So it's back to the legislature and that and that, and it's going to laugh when I make this comment.

And I did address that issue.

And one of them.

What?

I don't think we have that.

The election system, through the supervisor and the boards have to conduct this election.

If the majority of the members of the legislature, Democrats and the keepers of money for them to do it, don't care what the law says.

Right, right, right.

The appropriation of money by the legislature, alerted by the executive branch, OMB to the supervisor election, now makes it mandatory that despite what they said here, this is $200,000.

You have to spread it and you are responsible for conducting.

It's a Democratic dominated, you know, and that's frightening.

And the question I wanted to ask her, and I hope the supervisor election don't try to smack me with that microphone that she has there.

What do you think about open primaries?

Well, I discussed that also.

I agree, go slowly because for the benefit of not only Ernest and I, but we're talking to viewers and listeners via WTTG FM station.

Explain to them what what open elections means so and why you all have discussed it in the election system.

So in the mainland, open primary means that anyone can vote in that primary election.

And what was said before is all our taxpayers money are in that money that's funding the Democrats.

So it's all the taxpayers, not Democrats, taxpayers money.

And so they're saying, okay, if they think they have a right to for you to conduct it, then we have a right to participate.

Exactly.

So that's been discussed.

But in the Virgin Islands it's always been a close primary.

So that's something that also the need to look at.

So go ahead and then I will hold my thoughts.

And just just today in the in the state of Washington, one of the members of the House of Representatives that voted to impeach Donald Trump, he won one right to go back on the Republican as a Republican representative in the primary today or yesterday, because they have an open primary.

And how that works you when you go into the pool and you verify that users have voted and on this community or they say, hey, give me, I want a Democratic ballot.

Right, right, right, right, or I want a Republican ballot, or I want a ICM ballot.

And that allows you to say, what Democrat don't come out and run against that Republican or run against that ICM right.

But if we pay for it.

Well, we get a chance.

I mean, you put this food in table that we pay for and we can get one of it.

I mean, that's that's not fair to us.

Will lobby your legislators.

Well on my point, but the Democrat, they don't want us to vote for them.

No, a great conversation.

And what I wanted to I wanted to extend on that, you know, where is the Board of Elections stands on this right now?

You have to ask the chairman when you're interview him later this evening.

And how about the election system?

How would you like some system we carry whatever law they pass.

Don't put her in that position.

I don't get in that position.

The next era I want to talk about is absentee, because we always just focus on Election Day.

So we do have some absentee ballots out there and I make sure I got the number.

It's not a it's a lot, but it's not big like you'll see June the general election.

So in Saint Croix we had 147 that was requested thus far.

We got back about 72.

So that's like 49% saying Thomas, we had 187 requested.

We had 130 return.

And so that's 70%.

And then in Saint John we had 28 requested 21 return.

And that's 75%.

So that gives you the number there.

But again it increases during the general election.

I wanted to ask you before you leave, we know you got a lot going on when when the numbers come in from the from the voting centers.

When they when they arrive.

How long does it take the system to tally all the votes?

So right now Saint Croix has two in because you're going to hear that Arthur Richards came in and Carnegie to Saint Thomas.

They on their way in Saint Thomas.

And the first one coming in is Yuvi member of Saint John has coral Bay.

Has to come down to Cruz Bay, have to get on a ferry and then get the results to Saint Thomas office.

And all of this is escorted by police officer.

I want to make sure the public knows that they're not taken by the board, they're not bringing by any person, and they can't detour anywhere in a police car.

They come here, Saint Thomas results have to come to Saint Croix.

Then it's total, and then we put it out.

So we don't want any confusion.

If you send one district and another.

Last time, it caused some confusion.

So they decided now they're going to put out the report.

But as soon as they vote in Santa is ready.

It should be coming out.

So this is going on 850 by 830 we start seeing some results and one is start.

It goes very quickly.

We project to be finished at least by 930 tonight or before because again be sending on turnout.

So early voting are already done.

They run those and now they're doing those as they come in.

So we should get some results shortly.

But I'd just like to thank the staff.

Thank the poll workers again.

You see who's out there.

It's not us.

It's your family members, your community person, teachers, nurses, doctor.

They all help us all to day.

So when we complain about election, we complain about our whole community.

We try to improve on each process as we do it throughout the years.

And again every year we try to do something bigger and better for the voters.

This time we had books where we went to vote in center, and that's where everybody communicates with everyone.

So I no longer have to wait for a Carlin count.

I can go on my my cell phone or the computer, and I get live information and how the vote is going.

They tell us how much folks use paper, how much use the activation card, the time the peak times in Saint John.

During early voting, the peak times was at noon because people come at the lunch break.

So we looked at all the trends that we can use to do historical data going forward in this.

This last pointing since you just brought it up, the current electronic system that you're using for voting and tabulation, how long have you all have this in place?

The system was here in 2012, but it wasn't used until 2014.

So 2014 we had a DS 200 and we had an auto mod, which was a little bit more bulkier, the mod, and now we changed the express vote in 2018, the express vote and the other month was is really for the disabled.

They can use headsets, they could enlarge the screen and then any other voter can utilize them.

So if the disabled come, they have priority in the machine.

But we know that the trend for the younger voters are electronics.

So that's where we have, you know, we push and utilize both systems.

Our last year, we still have to have paper ballots.

So we have both.

This system have three additional ways to check it.

So you have the tape that comes in for the machine.

There's a jump drive that the board uses right now to.

And then there's a ballot in the bin.

And we could tell how much our paper how much activation card.

30 days after every election the board does it randomly select any polling place.

And they check those ballots to make sure the numbers are the same 100%.

Thus far we've been doing that since 2014.

So and that's correct.

I had a follow up question and the same issue, because I was getting a of concern about the election system when you all announced that you had voting centers.

And then when you start to spit out the data, my concern was was laid to rest concern, because I remember as a candidate that we would get a precinct by precinct breakdown.

I would know how much vote I get up in eastern vote I'll get down and somewhat vote.

I get there and I was like, if all of us got to if I live in face and I got up to kind of get an idea of what how does the system know that I am a registered voter from this particular polling district?

So I want to know my strengths and weaknesses in the primary or the general or running next year.

Could you just speak to that and basically how how you are able to accomplish that?

Again, based on the law, you have to give the results by polling place.

That's a lot.

And so we program the machines that it could take all the precinct ballots.

So you notice on the table they have all the ballots laid out by a number.

So wherever you go you tell them where you Alexander, they'll have it there whether you're in Middle East.

And that's how we know.

And that's when tonight when we calculate like I brought it here for you at the polling place.

So you can't have more than this example.

If Saint Thomas six B has, which is two, two has a 1283 voters registered, you can have more than that voting.

Right.

So we have a percentage.

Each of the polling place has the number of registered voters there.

And one last point I'd like to make in active active, which will give you a better picture of voters.

That's another bill and law that will just passed last week.

So under governor's desk.

So you're going to see the real impact in November.

And we've been championing this for a couple of years because though you have 34,000 voters and the list, they may not be active and some may have been deceased in the States, and we don't know.

So what are we doing now is active in active.

If you haven't voted for five years, we're going to send you a notice 30 days.

You don't respond.

Then we're going to put you in active not purge you like before.

So if you show up to the pull in place and you say, I'm here today and I want to vote this year, we turn you back on it just very fine, doctor, with a form that, hey, my address is still the same.

So we really want to see that in the November election.

They wanted to put that to do in the next two years.

And we said no.

And you're going to really see a two better report in November because of this, 34,000, maybe a thousand, not even here anymore.

Right, right.

And and so this is going to give us a true picture of the participation.

Historically, the Virgin Islands used to be 60% and better up until 2010.

Yeah.

And when we stop the purging or cancellation in 2016 even made it worse.

So I showed that to the legislature, and I'll bring up a chart for you in a while.

You could see.

And when you finish here, I'd like you to stop by and see the connect that we have, that we could see the live data, how what's happening at the pool.

And we use it for early voting.

And that's how we compete against between our districts.

The, I thought you I was going to let her go, but she keep going.

She was giving you just just can't find this last one for me because they want me to keep the time going.

So sorry.

I could stay here as long as you need me.

Okay, well, we don't want no results.

We don't want to get in trouble with the people that have us here.

So they might send me a decent.

You said this default just for clarification.

And was it at the request of the election system to discontinue the Persian of voter registration records for persons that don't vote in two consecutive general election?

Or was that just a legislative initiative?

It was the creative people in the community, and then the board sent it in as a recommendation, just like taking pictures of the ballot, the boats.

And that in that was in the also.

Okay.

And so before you, if you could remind us of of the voter turnout tonight compared to 2018.

So in 2018, we had 32,330 voters, 9896 turned out for 31%.

This time in 2022, we have 34,697 voters.

We had 2312 turnout.

Today, election day, we had 4418 turned out for early voting, which was 13%.

So your 13% and your 7% is about 20% below 11% less than 2018 2810 2010 supervisor, thank you so much.

You've been doing such an amazing job.

You know, really, really appreciate the effort.

Anything else you'd like to share before we again, thank you all and thank you all for supporting us.

And again, we continue to do what we'd like to do.

We're getting ready for the general election.

Early voting starts in October, so we're not going to rest.

We're going to get these folks certified in ten days.

August 16th, Certification Day, August 11th, we open up for registration again.

So those who didn't get to register, they need to come and register.

Do not wait until 30 days prior.

You need to register before that timeline, and September will be right here and spin up again for the next cycle of election.

The general election relative to to to voter turnout efforts.

Is that a function of the Board of Elections and the election system to try and get people?

Do you hold events to encourage voter turnout?

That's not the board's responsibility.

We try, we try, we do our part.

But I mentioned this all the time.

It starts from home.

So you start with your family.

It starts in your church.

It's starting community.

But a big role should be the parties.

The parties should be reaching out in the community, go into the schools and trying to register folks by letting them know where the platforms are, and then go back to civics.

We can't wait for civics in the school.

We all need to do our part.

I also recommend we start from sixth grade right now.

The last year you go to the 12th graders, but by then they kind of disenfranchized and I've made up their mind.

We need to go to sixth grade and start talking from there.

So we try to do some outreach.

But again, it's the responsibility of all of us in the community.

All supervisor.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

You're watching decision 2022 Democratic election coverage live on WTTG channel 12, Charlotte Amalie and throughout the Virgin Islands.

Very, very knowledgeable supervisor of elections there.

An interesting data coming from the supervisor relative to the turnout within an 11% drop compared to 2018.

And I was just about to apologize to you for talking to.

No no no, no.

And the reason is, is understand some of the intricacies as a as a as a as an example.

Yes.

When she speak of the percentage of registered voters in this case, we talk about the Democratic Party primary, where they say they may have 30,000 registered Democrats, and you have a primary way.

It's only 7000 Democrats voted in the primary, and we took the 7000 and gone into 35.

And what kind of percentage?

That was right.

The percentage is misleading.

If, in fact, as a supervisor of elections.

I know that we no longer purge the voter registration rolls.

And I'll give an example.

I have a number of children only by 11 now.

Okay.

They were registered voters when they were here, right?

They moved to a different jurisdiction, become registered voters there in the past, when they registered to vote in a different jurisdiction, the law had required that Florida, Georgia, New York notified the election system of the islands that they are now registered in New York, Virginia, or whatever.

And you can now the system can now use this as a mechanism to remove them from the system, from the system.

Now, if there is no purging and that process that being utilized, it is a it's a scary thing for us to get an adequate understanding of the number of persons who are residing here, who are registered to vote here, that are actually voting.

Right.

And and so these numbers are now have a little skew on them.

Right.

What we know that we no longer purge in the, the voter registration and that is that is affecting the percentage there.

Yes.

And so we want to welcome former Senator Dianne Capehart and who is a candidate, of course, in the primary election.

Thanks for joining us this evening.

Thank you for the invite.

Yes.

Good evening gentlemen.

Good evening.

And to your listening audience viewing audience.

Just introduce yourself quickly.

You know, we got to do this.

Okay.

My name is Diane Capehart, and I am a former senator from the 30th legislature running for the 35th legislature.

All right.

So you've been out there so your teams earlier, so you earlier and, you know, campaigning, trying to get folks out.

The turnout seems a little on election night, on Election day today.

What are your thoughts on that?

Well, I'm pretty surprised because with their early voting I saw the momentum was good.

So I really thought those who was saving that this big day to come out and vote.

I'm pretty much disappointed that we didn't really see that turnout as I expected.

And what are your thoughts on why, if you have any?

Well, I was driving here and I'm hearing the audience on the radio, the talk show, and people are pretty much frustrated with the performances in the past with legislators.

So I think that's one of the big contributing problems.

They're frustrated.

They want to see change, but they feel like, you know, this is always offered to them.

I'm going to be the change.

I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that.

And when time comes, they probably don't get the performance they're looking for.

You were a senator.

Go to my course that you were senator.

Spent one term, got out.

You're back at it again.

Why this time?

Why now?

Why this time?

Why not?

Why now?

Let me just say this.

That I've been in government 29 years in the Virgin Islands government.

And I've been in very different positions in the government.

I've worked for Medicaid, I've worked for human services under Medicaid.

I've worked for NER, I've worked in different capacities.

I've worked for AARP, I've worked for.

Different agencies.

I worked on, collaborated with.

So here it is.

I've been on the other side, and I feel like I didn't finish what I started.

And I'm coming back with experience, knowledge from policymaking positions in these different government agencies.

Okay.

Yes.

Oh, I wanted I wanted you to ask the question to you and good evening.

Good evening.

Kepada former senator the and you just gave a response there to to to earnest you you.

So you're currently still working in the government.

Yes.

I am on annual leave from the Virgin Islands Police Department.

Yes.

And that's the last.

Oh, you're okay because I know you was a deputy commissioner.

You know the police department, correct.

As the administrator for support services.

Okay.

Now what?

You stated that you listened to some talk shows discussion.

I know we hear the way here.

And the impression that you got from the callers that they didn't seem interested in being part of this process because the process has not been responsive unto them.

What have you done to encourage them to support your candidacy that you think that may have brought persons out or may not have reached them?

Well, I have participated in a registration drive encouraging individuals to go out and register to vote.

I have actually gone on the radio encouraging individual to go out and vote.

You know this is your civic duty.

Please go out and vote.

And, you know, just to look at individuals who work in a community who have been in government, private, just kind of look and see what they've been doing in the community, see what they've been doing in their jobs so we can have a team.

So people could have some confidence and faith.

Individuals who running for office get elected, that we can probably make a difference that they want to see.

But you've been elected before.

Yes.

And then you lost your reelection bid.

Correct.

And when you when you speak to the voters that are out there, is there something that you say to them in regards to, to the two years that you serve initially that should interest them to have you be reelected back to the legislature?

Well, I've been I've been actually saying I'm running on my record because when I was in a legislature, as you know, a freshman senator, two years is not an easy time to get elected, get acclimated.

Even though you may think you understand the parliamentary procedures.

Everything is when you get in there and you have to actually apply everything.

And just knowing your way around the legislature to to build consensus with your colleagues to get your legislation passed.

I'm proud to say that 58 pieces of bills and amendments that I brought forward as a freshman senator, eight became law and co-sponsored about 35.

So as a freshman, I felt that I did pretty good.

So you're saying that you introduced 58, introduced 58 bills and amendments?

And as a as a as a sole sole sponsor, some were prime sponsor co-sponsor.

Okay.

So you did that in collaboration with other senators in addition to what you have introduced on your own.

And and eight of them became became law.

And you want to share with us what some of the impacts.

Because when I heard the number 58, I said that there was a lot of numbers for somebody that that they'd been the only two years.

But you're talking about both as a sole primary sponsor and in collaboration with other senators.

That is correct.

And I told love, and I think they will need clarity on that too.

You know, because I was just going to say they should take the time and explain to listening audience.

Well, yes.

And 35, as I said, 35 became that I co-sponsored actually is 58.

Let me make this clarification.

It was not just for us, for the listening audience, your viewing audience.

It was 58 billion amendments of of bills and amendments.

I brought forward 35.

I co-sponsored, okay.

So yes, it was ambitious.

Okay.

So so 35.

And so let's talk about the co-sponsoring process there.

Because, you know, for those who may not know, you know, they may think that all this time with co-sponsors, that the co-sponsors have, you know, intimate effort in bringing the legislation together, sometimes that's not the case.

Sometimes, you know, a prime sponsor brings, you know, goes through the entire process.

And certain lawmakers like what they hear or like what they see and they tag along.

Are you saying that you were intricately involved in in the measures that you signed on as co-sponsors?

All of them?

I would say some, yes.

How many?

What do you have an idea?

I can't remember because it says here, you know, you co-sponsored 35.

I mean, it gives the it gives the folks would assume that, man, you know, you tag team on all of those, you know so so yes.

Let me just say that most of those that I co-sponsored, I spoke to the prime sponsor of the legislature of the legislation and asked if I could be a sponsor of that legislation.

You know, so it's something that I thought it was very important to partner with that person, because it's the same thing when you have good legislation others want to sponsor with you.

Yeah.

So some of those legislation, I actually went to the prime sponsor say I want to buy in and this I want to be a part of this bill.

So a good one is that revitalization bill where Judy Buckley, Senator O'Reilly and I, for the casinos to have now open in Christiansted in the town area, that that brought revitalization to our town, and that was a caliber collaboration of all of us co-sponsoring and and just just for clarity, in addition to that, the you don't need permission from Senator the corresponding to his or her legislation.

Right?

I know.

No, no, no, I'm saying that.

But yeah, because I've listened to I've been in the States, I've listened to people.

Madam president, legal counsel, to put my name and my name is Santa Gilbert as a co-sponsor or as a primary sponsor.

Yeah.

Well, you know why I am saying I used to ask because I had a senior sitting senator that felt that it was respectful to acts.

And as a freshman, okay, I yield to it at first.

And then I realized, oh, I don't need to ask, did you know the funny part?

Now I have some I saw with some senior citizen centers.

They coined the phrase they used to call it Bill napping.

So you're kidnaping my bill by put your name and it makes him.

It's yours.

Yep.

Yep.

Right.

So how do you feel tonight before we let you go, how do you feel about your chances tonight?

I feel pretty good because, you know, going out in the community, you know, people say, I'm glad you're running again, Capehart.

You are good, Senator.

When you was there, they shouldn't have altered you out.

I hear a lot of that.

You know, I hear individuals who don't think that I need to be in there because they say, wait, did she do you know?

And then when I hear that kind of stuff, like my team members, that's why I would say you need to understand what I've done.

So when you hear that, then you could come back and say, hey, my senator did this.

She did that.

She co-sponsored, you know, so I want to be able to continue legislation, Preferred Bidders Act, computer crimes, anti-bullying and gang prevention, the Home Invasion Act, Missing Minors Act.

So those were some of the impactful legislation that I brought forward.

And I want to continue advocating for the people of Saint Croix, particularly, of course, you know, it's full of all islands, but Saint Croix is my home, and that's who I want to advocate for.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.

Thank you for having me.

All right.

So, you know, live at the election system of the Virgin Islands on Saint Croix.

We are waiting results.

We should have some results coming in soon.

You know, the election system supervisor was just here sharing with us.

By 930.

It should be all over.

So you don't have to wait too much longer.

We're going to have results.

Come in.

Come in to you soon.

So stick tight with us as we discuss.

You know, we've been talking earlier and we spoke about how folks used to jump from one party to the next.

All in an effort to try to get elected.

Matter of fact, we mentioned, you know, the current governor, the city government is the only one in the gubernatorial race there who has not changed party from, from from Democrat to any other party.

You know, I've had some concerns about folks who just jump all over the place, right?

I mean, so and I want you to, to to elaborate on that because, you know, I think if you're running as a certain party or low party, whether your ICM, your no party, your Democrat, I think that comes with certain principles.

I would believe, right, that you would like to, to, to lead on when you become a lawmaker, for example, or a governor.

So if you are an ICM, there's certain principles with the ICM that you would like to bring forth.

A new belief would better the Virgin Islands as a Democrat.

Same thing.

But folks are jumping all over.

What does that say?

Well, I don't know if we just had a jumping out over and I was smiling to myself.

I have a real good friend, a former senator.

I believe he's got elected as a as a Democrat.

He got elected as a man and he got elected as a Republican.

But he's been successful under all three parties.

What is interesting is back then, during the time of this former senator, the parties has had principles and platforms by which the candidates will adapt and utilize as the the foundation for the things that they will pursue legislatively.

The today.

And I forgot to to inquire of the state chair when he was here.

It's Cecil Benjamin.

I understand that they have some revised platform that came about in 2020, and then they have some new edition that they waiting for the state chair to sign.

Sitting somewhere.

The ICM party had they revised platform that goes back to 2018, 2020, the party principles and platform and then the Republicans.

I'm not sure.

The most recent documented is for the principle, and particularly since most things about that particular party has been in there is the the wrangling over the control of the party, but not in about what the party stands for.

And it is a justifiable issue, particularly for both the ICM party and the Republican Party, that that the persons or parties that are now sitting in positions of authority, like the ACM, suppose they have a territorial committee chairman.

And if the party is at this particular stage now and not functioning as it should, and pursuing topics of interest to the community.

And now when I look at the registration.

Data that's been provided by the supervisor, elections, particularly in the ICF party, it's the same number of people with an increase of 6 or 8.

Right.

So the people I mean, GhanaWeb know, the people are sitting for some sort of leadership.

They've been increased in membership for the Republican Party because the Republican Party also has a national alliance.

Yes.

And they were people here that aligned with with candidate and then president elect Trump.

And there were other candidates that they aligned with that weren't elected president, but they were there were people here because they they had convention and they encouraged them a lot of transients, if I must say so freely, to to join the joint, join up with the party.

So, so that is a very serious concern to me.

Yeah.

And so if let's look at how it happens on the mainland, if you're looking at the Senate, the Congress there in Washington, if Senator, congressmen were to switch parties, this is it's breaking news.

You know, it's a big deal, right?

You got me laughing after you, honest.

You.

I don't know, you're kind of breaking you.

Breaking you.

Unless you forget the one of the Democratic Party presidential candidate is an independent.

Well, he's an independent senator, but he's a senator, Bernie Sanders.

He's always aligned, though.

He aligns with the Democrat.

Right.

So he doesn't appear to be a Democrat.

Okay.

For example, if if centrist, whatever good centrist senator who always has the Manchin Mansion.

If Manchin were to switch from Democrat to Republican, that would be breaking news.

And so let's let's bring it back home, right.

You have, you know, one of the main contenders in the gubernatorial race, facing whoever comes out successful in this primary, Senator and senator general, sorry, the running as a team senator could really switched from from Democrat, I think for the first time to become a new party to to of course face being able to face the governor in the or whoever wins the primary in the general election.

And I'm just and his running mate was also at one time a Democrat Sunday.

Yes.

Yes.

So so they vote no longer Democrats, no party.

But the it's not just.

The fact that we speak about party loyalty.

It's the manner in which party individuals would, in fact move around and ensure the viability of the party and what, what impact that has.

And people wanted to participate in, in part, events and being the distinct difference between being a registered and a card carrying member of a particular party, what a Democrat or Republican, all that stands out.

Yes.

And I think one of the things to we just we can only blame only candidates, right.

Because I know persons that decided okay, well.

And it's Gilbert.

Gilbert is a senatorial candidate.

He's running as a Democrat and we are part of on his team.

And we before the closer they come to change your party registration on these people that we needed, we are we going to change to Democrats so we could vote for Ernest right in the primary so you could come out to the general election.

So both candidates and registered voters take these actions for for a number of different reasons.

All right.

All right.

So so what do we have here?

We have Senator Gentleman Whitaker here.

But let's let's look at we have some numbers in our hands.

What are we looking at here.

We have the some numbers starting to come in here.

You know the the gubernatorial numbers.

And then we have the legislature.

I'm seeing Governor Albert Bryan leading with 566 votes there to Ken Burns, 469 so far, right in totals five.

And so contest totals so far 1121.

In the Democratic legislature of the Virgin Islands.

At large race.

Here at large race, we're looking at Angela Baucus with 578 votes so far, 578 votes for Angela Baucus, Stephen Payne, Steven Payne at 190 at 194.

Stephen Payne ratings three total at large numbers here 1200 1120 21.

Same with the gubernatorial there.

So the Democratic legislature of the Virgin Islands, we're looking at Saint Croix.

So far we have no Francis leading so far with 578 votes, Nouvelle Francis with 578 votes, Kenneth Gittens with 576.

Closely behind there.

And again, you know, numbers are just coming in.

Morris James with 543 votes, Diane Capehart, who was just here, that she's number four at the moment, 507 votes, followed by Naomi Williams, Jackson, 456 votes, naming with 456 votes, Jovan James with 445 votes so far.

Hubert, Earl Frederick, 432 votes so far Genevieve Whitaker, Senator Whitaker is with us at the moment.

We'll be speaking with us soon.

415 votes so far, followed by Troy Williams there with 279 votes.

Total writings 13 votes.

Contest totals 7847.

We have other numbers here.

We have the the the Board of Education Dennis Lynch lead in so far with 398 votes, followed by Terence TI Joseph with 393 votes, while unit A Hendricks is following Joseph with 354 votes.

Writing totals five.

Contest totals 202,242.

Again, we're going to continue with the numbers here.

This is the Board of of elections now.

And again this is the Democratic primary.

We're talking about Raymond J. Williams a leading so far with four synchro synchro only synchrony so far James 462 both so far followed by Florin or Dane Hassell with 309 votes.

She is followed by followed by Kareem T Francis with 302 votes.

Frans Buffy Christian follows Francis with 246 votes right in total, seven for contest total.

So far, the Board of Elections Saint Croix 3363 votes so far.

We're just going to go through them quickly here.

The Democratic state chair, we have Cecil R Benjamin.

He was just with us 318 votes so far.

State chair, followed by Stedman Hodge Jr with 173 votes.

Recess Richards with 140 votes.

Total ratings one contest 1121 votes.

I think we probably will cover those party office later on.

We'll cover that here.

Yes.

And so okay, let's let's interview Senator with the before we delve into those numbers.

Senator, thank you for coming on.

Just a quick introduction of yourself and good evening to both of you.

Got into Richards.

Good evening, earnest, and good evening to the listening audience.

Viewing audience.

All right.

All right, Senator Whitaker, you've been out.

I've seen your people out, you know.

How are you feeling your first term, senator?

How, you know, the first time said yes.

Yes, yes, you are for some, Senator.

Yes you are.

Time is stretched.

How are you?

How do you feel about your performance, first of all, and your chances tonight?

Well, I just want to say.

Well, first off.

Good evening to once again to everyone in terms of my chances so far, I, you know, leave it up to the voters and the judge of how I performed.

Right.

One of the things I want to emphasize is that through my term, when it came to constituents, my office fielded hundreds of constituents concerns, legislation I have crafted for 50 piece of legislation and my series of projects and so on.

One senator, you can actually call, pick up the phone, reach and have issues resolved.

And and that's something that I continue to work and, and really encourage.

And so tonight went in, you know, I analyzed my results also from last time and to where fared and of course, going into this election and just really being just cognizant of just, you know, having to earn the support of and share my message of my record with the with the individuals who were out there to to vote today and also early you're chair the Committee on Education and Workforce Development.

You've had some challenges with the Department of Education.

You know, there's been back and forth.

The department issued releases.

You're responding both in press releases and via social media.

Why do you think there has been what I would consider a level of contention between the Education Department and your committee?

Well, a lot of it has to do with, well, first off, having the right person in the position and from really I had, you know, had high hopes in the context of from very early on in my term, reaching out to the former Commissioner Benjamin, really diving in to really examine what's going on with our schools, even went as far as going to all the schools, going to Saint John.

We have the principal noted that that was the first time historically that senators had in fact, senators had, in fact, you know, come to the school.

And I made sure we had the unions there and others present the the challenges really has to do with leadership.

And and even since we've had the change with on point Acting Victor, Acting Commissioner Victor Som and then now we have the appointed commissioner, doctor Dion Wells Hendrickson.

There's been a lot of movement on many things.

When I hear about the school lunch program, maintenance of schools, that's something that I regimental engaged in.

So I see a much clearer path forward.

It really had a lot to do with who was in the position.

And of course, I had nothing to do with her being in that position.

Okay, okay.

And so, you know, a new commissioner was announced.

Of course, the commissioner nominee.

How do you feel again, you chair that important committee.

How do you feel about that nomination?

I already have a very strong relationship with with Assistant Commissioner Som as well as Doctor Hendrickson Wells, because in fact, those are two individuals.

And when it came to all of the issues, I was able to to coalesce with, and, you know, they demonstrate skill sets and the care and compassion for the children to move things forward.

All right.

And good evening again.

I'm Sandra with and welcome.

I believe you're hearing the the results that came into night for the first time just before you sat down.

You didn't get a chance to to digest them prior to this?

No.

Because it's a little bit changed because typically we're kind of about getting numbers into change.

Change a bit.

I know, but I also go back to last election to in terms of where I stood at early voting.

A lot of my strength came on the election.

And currently currently on the screen we have the if you could could view, they have the top seven vote in the primary.

And as we speak.

You're sitting in eight positions, some 17 votes behind a candidate, Hubert Frederick.

You you've been involved in the in the absentee ballots persons you've been able to contact them.

Good question.

Yes.

Good question.

So definitely I put out you know, individuals have reached out to me directly, but also indirectly pitching out and encouraging folks to, you know, to, you know, definitely take advantage of that process.

Definitely.

So, yeah.

So just for clarity, because we don't have that information because I want to be able to gov and it's not on there right now.

These are which, which are these.

These are the results for absentee early voting.

Know this this is voting today.

Oh this is polling okay.

This is voting today okay.

Not okay.

This is the unofficial results.

I'm sorry for not making it clear.

These are the unofficial results of primary election 2022 that Mister Gilbert was reading off into the records.

We've now been able to put them up on the screen for not only you, for for the people at home.

What do you say about this turnout?

This is to me, it's a it's a stunning result that individuals are moving on to a general election, with the highest vote getter getting less than 600 votes.

What's your response?

Response to voter participation within the Democratic Party?

Well, I think I think it's a it's a it's a it's a real struggle we're having in terms of getting individuals to come out to vote.

There's a lack of apathy, voter apathy, as well as, you know, concerns about this, the role of party and what's what's going on.

So I am, you know, in terms of the low turnout, I'm not particularly surprised.

You know, I mean, we did have a historic turnout in terms of early voting.

And so but we know that we heard today that, you know, there was a really low turnout.

So thank you, thank you, thank you for joining us.

Thank you and good luck tonight.

Okay.

Thank you.

And and as we mentioned we are looking at the unofficial unofficial results.

Yes.

Yes.

That we're expecting to be coming in coming in from the election systems earlier.

Yeah.

We were notified by the supervisor of election that they did have in their possession the DC candidate voting center and Arthur Richards.

And I don't know whether or not the results that we are looking at now also encompasses the the votes from the Central High School or whatnot come in and they've already begun to tabulate them.

And that's what we're trying to understand now.

But but as of now, what we're looking at and the numbers we got, we have new numbers coming in as we speak.

So as the numbers roll out, we're going to be showing it with you.

But so far in the governor's race, we're looking at Governor Albert Brian leading with 566 votes, with Kent Bernier senior coming in second there with 469 votes.

So far we have new numbers.

Yes, we have new numbers here.

And as you say that it is, in fact, it's a it's a tight race for the gubernatorial teams between Brian, governor O'Brien and Lieutenant Governor Roach and the challenger, Kid Bernier and former Senator Oakland Bent.

Because if you look at the numbers inclusive of early voting with Brian Roach team having 1027 votes and only leading by 909, yeah, that was not an expectation coming, coming forward when we were looking at the existing information.

And so we have the information also coming in from Saint John's.

You want to go ahead and say those numbers don't.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Well the in the summary the results, we had some 17,759 registered voters who are Democrat and which represent a voter turnout of 12.87%.

Yes.

But in the governor and lieutenant governor race between Brian and Roach team at 100.

Excuse me, 1677 Kent Bernier and Oakland Bento, 443 votes in the Senate at large race, you had Angela Baucus junior coming out with 1000, excuse me, 1281.

Stephen Payne, senior, 347 and 23 right in votes were cast.

And we're looking at the Saint Thomas and John summary results report in the district of Saint Thomas, Saint John senatorial race.

You had Donna Fred Gregory leading with 1426, Milton E Potter 1387.

College with 1057.

Marvin Blyden with 957.

Lawrence 707.

Joel S Brown 699.

References.

670.

Chanel Fine Francis 655.

That's six.

Five.

Five.

Keshawn K.J.

Lewis with 400 and Teofilo Cyprian with 207.

And some writing totals of 61.

And then for the Board of Education race, which is also interesting in Saint Thomas and John district.

You have Judy Gomez with 1308 ERA, Lockhart with 896.

Doctor Leonard Richardson with 550.

And you had a write in votes of of 12 and the Board of election.

We had a Tanya Spring.

It was 712 delica D coward with four, 26 and 12 write in votes in the state chair race.

And this is going to be interesting.

As you know, I told the state chair that he served in that capacity.

Yeah.

By de facto, yes.

Well, there's an interesting figures coming out.

And Thomas Stedman Hodge junior with 911 votes, followed by Reese S Richards with 640 and Cecil Benjamin with only 192.

Both are the top two vote getters for the state.

Cherries are about residents of the district and Saint Thomas.

And so the final results will we have to look at in regards to the individuals that would actually take take the seat of the state chair when they bring these votes together?

And also the same for the governor, lieutenant governor and yet lotteries.

Since these are figures that have to be put together with both the Saint Croix and the Saint Thomas Saint John districts.

All right.

All right.

Thank you so much.

We're going to go over to Saint Thomas and see what's going on over there.

All right.

Good evening.

I have Senator Carla Joseph standing here with me today.

How are you feeling tonight?

Senator?

I'm thankful, and I am feeling ecstatic.

Great, great, great.

So this is your third time running?

You are a freshman senator.

Tell me, what have you been most proud of for your term this so far?

One of the major items that I'm really proud of is something that I had in my platform agenda from since 2018.

I wasn't elected that year, but 2020 I was, and I kept just pounding the pavement about it was the Gers and really stopping the leak and making sure that that system is solvent for our people and especially our retirees.

I worked on the Gers insolvency subcommittee tirelessly.

I would go home so weary, but I had to press on and push on because our elders, our persons who have worked in the public sector was worth it.

And moreover, it it's a lifeblood of our economy.

Here in the Virgin Islands.

We have a lot of businesses that are dependent on some of the money that our retirees spent and circulate throughout our community.

So definitely, I was very happy about that.

I also passed a legislation which was really a groundbreaker as well as a Uniform Legal Material Act, which allows anyone to have access to legal materials.

And that's great.

So you could do some research, and if you're doing that type of research and need to look up some legal materials, you can have that access to.

And I want to also add that I have been on a crusade relative to reasonings in residential areas and to restrict those rezoning so that there are no bars and taverns.

I can recall vividly a person, a constituent.

This is before I became a senator.

Miss Douglas came to me.

She was totally distressed and distraught.

She couldn't sleep at night.

And because this bar was in her neighborhood, she had bought and saved to purchase her first home and she couldn't sleep.

She said, I've been living here for over 20 years and now this bar and restaurant come, I can't sleep.

The patrons, they're littering all over my property and outside.

It's a nuisance for her and other residents in their area especially.

We have that strong aging population.

Peace and sleep is essential for our sound of mind, you know?

And so we need to assure that we keep those type of residential areas residential and do all we can.

And that's why I'm really urging the comprehensive land and water use plan.

It's been there.

I know the executive branch have been working on it.

Every executive to say they're working on it, it is time.

It is time.

We do this and we make this happen.

Right.

Thank you.

So tell me, what do you have to say to the voters tonight who might be putting you back in?

Well, I am always grateful.

I love our Virgin Islands.

I love about people with have a level of fierceness, you know, when you love something.

And I'm very passionate about the work I have done in the past.

I manage federal programs over millions of dollars, and I didn't send back any.

And I help young people especially, get a second chance at getting education as well as putting them in jobs.

And they learn, industry recognize and earn industry recognized certification.

So I really appreciate the opportunity to serve.

I am a I'm a public servant and I love serving our people.

I deeply appreciate this opportunity, and I'm thankful and I hopeful that I have demonstrated it, my gratitude to the people so that they are pleased that they have elected and chosen a senator and a servant who is for the people.

Great.

Thank you so much, Senator, and all the best tonight.

Thank you kindly.

I appreciate you and all the best to you with your continued broadcast.

Thank you.

Back to you guys in Saint Croix.

All right.

Welcome back.

Welcome back.

You're watching live coverage of the 2022 primary election on WTTG.

We have fresh numbers.

We have the territory wide early voting numbers.

And so we want to share now with the people territory wide early voting numbers.

Governor Albert Bryan Junior, with a total of 202,704 votes.

The governor with 2704 votes, followed by Kent Bernier, senior, with 1362 votes.

Again, early voting numbers here.

Writing totals 31 votes for total votes cast 4909.

4097 The Democratic at Large race.

And again early voting numbers here.

Angie Baucus, junior, with 2424 votes, followed by Stephen Deep and Senior with 600 votes.

Total ratings 29.

Total votes cast 3053.

In the Democratic at large early voting numbers there now in the Democratic the senatorial race on Saint Croix, we're looking at early voting numbers.

Senator Kenneth Gittens leading.

Did I miss something?

No.

You're only voting inclusive of early voting and the the votes that was cast today.

We are looking at all the numbers here as an official results.

Results as of now.

Yeah.

So in early voting isn't it.

I think this is only voting this early voting.

Just early voting numbers.

Yeah.

So that's what we're looking at.

Early voting numbers totals so far.

Unless you have this latest it's early voting numbers right.

Yes.

Yes we live out in numbers.

And so let's go let's go back to Saint Croix here.

Send it to Kenneth Gittens.

Early voting totals.

He has 1117 votes followed by Senator Noel Francis 1082 votes.

Senator Francis is followed by candidate Maurice James with 1070 votes, and she is followed by former Senator and candidate Diane Capehart with 926 votes.

Miss Capehart is followed by Nemi Williams Jackson with 795 votes, and Miss Jackson is followed by Senator Genevieve Whitaker with 770 votes, and followed by Senator Giovanni James with 758 votes, and Mr.

James is followed by Hubert Frederick with 747 votes, and he is followed by Troisi Williams with 443 votes.

We had a total of 20 ratings for a total of 7728 total votes cast.

Right.

And so we are speaking of the early voting numbers here.

So, so far.

And let's let's repeat the governor, the total for the the gubernatorial race in the Democratic primary.

And we're looking at the the governor, of course, with 2704 votes, followed by candidates Kent Bernier with 1362 votes.

So far, we're talking those are early voting numbers, total territorial territory wide early voting numbers will see.

What what do you make of the numbers we're seeing so far?

Well, let me first of all, I apologize with you in your discussion earlier in reporting the numbers.

See the when you look at the territory early voting summary results report and you look at the listing, for instance, in the district.

We had, we had a total number of 14,917 total votes cast.

The numbers are the same.

And then when you break out into to the early voting, this has been separate.

So so when we when we look at the total and then you have early voting, it left the impression that right right right.

They are looking at the results the results right right that are coming in tonight.

So we are strictly just looking at the early voting.

And then earlier we had an unofficial results.

Yes.

And so you've seen some some movement because the earlier screen that we showed had sent a Whitaker in a position.

Yes.

And with these 30 early voting summary results, they showing her in the sixth position and Jovan James in the seventh position, with Hubert Frederick in a position and Troy Williams in the ninth position.

And so that hopefully when we get down to the information that finally comes out, we will have a overall view of not only the early voting results, but the results of the votes that have been cast.

Because.

So just for the clarification, with the early voting, some results, you have incumbent Senator Kenny Gittins in first place, incumbent Senator Novelli Francis Junior in second place.

New challenger Morrissey James in third place, Diane, former Senator in fourth place.

Nemi Williams Jackson in fifth place.

Incumbent Senator Geneve Genevieve Whitaker in sixth place.

Incumbent Giovanni James in seventh place.

Hubert L Frederick in eighth place.

And Troy C Williams.

And this is from the summary of the early voting.

Voting cast.

And so let's go.

Let's go to the Saint Thomas and John district.

If you flip your page there for the early voting territory wide numbers as well, you have current Senator Donna Fred Gregory leading early voting numbers again, total 1426.

She's followed by Senator Milton Potter 1387 votes.

Mr.

Porter is followed by Senator Carl Joseph with 1057 votes, and Miss Joseph is followed by Senator Marvin E Bladen with 957 votes.

Candidate Lawrence Basalt early voting numbers.

Again 707 votes.

Mr.

Bush is followed by Joel S Brown Connors with 699 votes.

Mr.

Connors is followed by Ray Francesca with 670 votes, and Mr.

Francesco is followed by Chanel final, Francis with 655 votes.

Coming in after Miss Francis is Kishan K J Lewis, the young senator.

We spoke of the young candidate we spoke of with 400 votes and after Mr.

Lewis, Philo Cyprian with 207 votes, we had a total of 61 writings and total votes cast of 808,226.

And that is, of course, for the senatorial race.

Early voting numbers in the Saint Thomas Saint John district.

And so what we want to make emphatically clear that as we speak now, we have not shared any numbers from the votes that have been cast today, right of Saturday, primary Election day.

So are we looking at is early voting numbers?

Because the initial initial document we got did not have the the early voting heading.

But these are the same numbers that are on the territory wide early voting statistics.

Indeed, indeed.

Okay.

We're going to turn it over to Saint Thomas for an interview with at large candidate Senator Angela Junior.

All right.

So I'm here with Senator Angel Volquez.

Tell me how you're feeling tonight.

Well, I'm feeling good.

But first and foremost, I want to thank God, thank my wife and family, thank my campaign workers and all of the community who came out and supported me on the polls.

So this is not your first time running for this seat, right?

But what's what's been different about this campaign cycle than in the past, given everything that's happened, I think this campaign cycle is a little bit different, because the first time I ran, I sort of did some things or made some mistakes when it came to how I used my finances, and I think it gave me the opportunity to recalibrate and figure out strategy concerning the campaign and how to properly get out there and network and build relationships.

And in order to get support from the community for votes.

Okay, great.

So one of your platforms is agriculture.

So have you been reaching out to say any other farmers or anything of the sort to see about, you know, legislation or anything of the like?

Most definitely.

So.

On the island of Seeing met with a few farmers, one notably Bordeaux farms.

I visited their facilities just to learn what they've been doing, what they've been working on for the last few years, what their challenges are, and looking forward to see what I can do as a legislator and support those endeavors, because I believe it's very important that we focus on agriculture as an industry here in the Virgin Islands, because 97, 98% of the food that we have here in the Virgin Islands comes from the outside.

And in the event that we have some sort of natural disaster or some sort of inflation issue with shipping and so forth.

We're not going to be able to get the type of food and sustenance that we need here in the islands in order to live for a long period of time.

So it's very important that we start focusing on the industry of agriculture.

I know that people feel that there's a stigma because we were utilized for free labor for so long when it comes to agriculture, but in fact, agriculture is the largest industry in the whole entire world.

And we have to also be able to say to ourselves that while it's great now that we have all this federal money from the storms and from Covid and whatever, when that money finishes in the next five and a half to six years, what are we going to do other than tourism to sustain ourselves?

So I'm really I'm really passionate about it and wanting to see the industry thrive and become more more elaborate and and focusing on not only just farmers because agriculture and normally long winded, but agriculture is thousands of jobs associated with it.

So we really need to step away from the fact that people want to say, oh, you don't have to, you have to actually grow plants.

But in fact, you can be somewhat someone who ships it, someone who packages it, someone who promotes and markets it.

So it's so many different jobs surrounding agriculture.

So the Democratic Party, they selected you to continue to finish out the term of Senator Payne.

What does it mean to you that the board that the party would put their faith in you to seat you?

I'm really thankful to them.

I've worked very hard within the organization for the last almost four years, networking and building relationships.

And for me as a younger person, having that vote of confidence from the organization really means a lot to me, because I know that a lot of people may think that there are people within the organization that just want to hold on and grasp on to power, but in fact, if you actually take the time out and actually get to know these people and get to work with them and understand what some of the challenges are in the organization, you'll see that you have a lot of great leaders from the past, people who have been commissioners, people who have been governors, lieutenant governors, administrators, etc.

and you can learn a lot from them.

And I think we really, as young people, need to apply our selves and not be afraid of not always getting what we want.

You know, you have to work for what you want in order to get where you want to go in life.

So some people just are not willing to put forward the work in order to be where they want to be.

But I'm very thankful for the organization for having that vote of confidence in me, and I'm looking forward to representing the institution of the legislature of the Virgin Islands in the next term.

So moving forward.

What would you have to say to any of the Virgin Islands citizens who might be unsure moving forward in the general election?

I would say to them that this is a great opportunity for them to follow what I'm doing, especially being that I was appointed to finish out the term so that they can see what I bring to the table, what some of my skills and passions are, some of the things that I want to advocate for, and just to see if I'm actually capable of the job.

And I know that, that I am more than willing to do so for them.

So they need to take the time out and check it out.

All right.

Thank you very much.

You have a wonderful night.

Back to you guys in Saint Croix.

All right.

You're watching decision 2022 Democratic election coverage live on channel 12, Charlotte Amalie and throughout the US Virgin Islands.

We have some numbers.

We have candidate Naomi Jackson with us.

We're going to be performing an interview and we're going to intersperse it.

But I would like to, to to give the numbers you have and then we will we'll go into the interview because these numbers are important.

Thank you and welcome, candidate Ophelia Nemi Williams.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And is that only important for the candidate who is sitting with us?

But it's important for the listeners how we could make sure we bring as much clarity as possible.

The numbers that we're going to share now.

Yes, includes the early voting and includes Cinco numbers that was cast today.

Whether these are the final numbers, whether they have DC kind of Gator Central High School and Richard's is something that they will inform us.

But whatever numbers from Saint Croix that they have received their included in these totals.

So the Brian Roche team has 3270 votes, the Bento team 1831 votes, the Angel Bocas Junior 3002.

The former Senator Payne 790 790, in the District of Saint Croix race holding on to the first position as of now is incumbent Senator Kenny.

Kenneth gets 1693 votes, followed by incumbent Senator Novell Francis with 1660 votes, followed by the newcomer and challenger, attorney Maurice James, with 1613 votes, followed by former Senator Dianne Capehart with 1433 votes.

She that would be fourth place in fifth place currently is a failure.

Nemi Jackson, with 1251 votes in sixth place, is incumbent Senator Jovan James with 1203 votes, and in seventh place is incumbent Senator Genevieve Whitaker with 1185 votes.

So these are the standing and the votes as of now, inclusive of the early voting.

Yes, that ended on Monday and inclusive of numbers that were added to this total based on the votes cast today.

When the polls closed at 7 p.m., we are just not sure that those are the final numbers.

Yes, unofficial.

And so these are the top seven we're looking at here and are the you know, the other candidates of course, included Troy C Williams, who is not part of the top seven so far, and as well as Hubert Frederick.

But we have candidate Nemi Jackson with us.

And he called your entire family everything.

Everything.

That's not my fault.

She put my dad on the ballots.

I was just trying not.

And you have to make sure you hold the microphone up so we can hear you.

Welcome.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for having me.

Yes.

It's interesting that you're sitting with us and we're looking at the numbers.

And you're part of the top seven here.

In fact, your your place number five so far.

You know.

And these numbers again inclusive of early voting and votes cast today on Saint Croix.

We're just not sure they are the total yet.

But this is what we're looking at so far.

What does that mean for you.

How do you feel about this?

Pretty good.

Pretty excited.

I'm just humble and I'm, you know, happy to be here sitting down and actually hearing the numbers come in and be in fifth place.

You know, I'm happy that my message resonated with some of the voters out there, and they afforded me this opportunity to move forward to November.

I'm very, very much excited.

I want to thank everyone who believe in that message, and I want to ask them, let's move forward together and finish it in November.

And so this is not your first run at this.

You've done this a few times before, but you kept at it.

Some would say, you know, you really want to be part of the process of decision making as it relates to the laws of the territory and change.

What are some of your ideas as you move forward into the general election?

Well, you mentioned that I ran before, which is true.

Some of the same issues that I experienced, that we were experienced as a community back then.

We're experiencing it right now.

I remember when I ran first, Senator Richards was also seeking office at the time, and sports tourism was a big thing then.

And from then to now, no one has done anything yet.

I hear it echoing every election about utilizing sports as a mechanism to make money.

So that is something that I really want to push.

Another thing, you know, our health infrastructure is so fragile, and having experienced cancer and knowing what I have learned because of getting cancer, I want to make sure that we focus on preventative care and not reactive care, and that will help the load of our hospitals as well.

Hi.

Hi.

Glad to see you.

I have a couple of quick questions.

You mentioned that this is the third time that you've actually the fourth.

So you've ran three times before.

Correct?

This is your fourth time I'd run into your center.

Previously, all those times you ran as a Democrat?

Yes.

Did you win in the primary elections before?

As a matter of fact, last election was the only election that I did not make the primary.

Every other election, I made the primary last election.

All elections are different, you know, and I have never run a senatorial race.

Every time I run was governor race.

And and unfortunately for me, because, you know, it's two different election when you run, when it's a governor race and then when you run, when it's just a senatorial race, it's just two different election.

And what I would say is the because I was getting ready actually was the reason that you only run during.

Are you trying to no piggyback on the election or let us know?

But what happened is as an educator, the law is just not balanced.

I make a big sacrifice when I run, I go leave without pay.

So a lot of times I use my reserve money to sustain my family like I'm doing now.

My committee was really upset with me last time when I told him, well, listen, I can't run because I was not financially stable.

I can't help people if I'm not stable in my home.

So that is really the big decision that we heavily on, whether I seek it consecutively and, and I was never able to afford to do it.

So now I raised enough money so I can I saved enough money so I can sustain my personal responsibility because I have a family, you know, and, and many people have talked about the law changing relative to teachers.

You know, if you notice a lot of teachers don't run because it's a great sacrifice.

I'm getting my summer paying my last paycheck because it's promising that I will be successful for the primary.

My last paycheck is actually next Thursday, and I was getting ready to to ask you about that because I've never noticed that that the that particularly for for persons who are teachers, that they are handicapped and not allowed to get a leave of absence because, you know, we get we get a leave of absence.

Me finish my question.

You don't accumulate annual leave and that is the reason why you can't utilize your annual leave to continue to be paid while you're out from your teaching job.

Correct.

Okay.

Correct.

And that's particularly interesting.

Now I have one additional question.

Sure, sure.

Mr.

Gilbert, the.

In the past and I just said in the past, because this has only traditional it's been historical.

Last election was one of the rare times in the past or in the past, in the past that we had five.

Democrats got elected to the to the legislature.

You had two independent candidates.

And you are currently in the fifth place.

What do you think you can do to ensure that you would be able to move on?

Because I may get cut back to the forward Democrats, depending on how strong these no party candidates are.

Well, I have to press on.

I have to let people know my qualification.

I have to let people know that I love this island, and I'm going to represent them well in the 35th legislature.

I have to let people see me beyond party alignment, because every individuals have their values, and I want to be known for that and not be known for a Democratic candidate, just solely.

I'm an individual who care about this place, who I've been consistent, never give up, and I've never flipped this script.

I believe in the values and the ideals of the Democratic Party, but I'm still an individual.

Be careful.

You're using an independent candidate slogan.

He wanted to play the script, and now you're joining him in flipping the script.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

And if these numbers hold, you know, congratulations and good luck with the the general.

If these numbers hold, you want to thank you.

We're going to switch over to Saint Thomas here we have an interview with both of elections chairman Rehman with.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm here with chairman of the board, Mr.

Raymond Williams.

And I just want to say that I've known you since maybe I was, like, in fourth grade.

And since I've known you, you've been with the elections office in some way, shape or form.

So you were only 24 about that?

Yes, I am.

But tell me, how has the day been today?

It's been a very long day for me personally.

I started out this morning on Saint Croix Little after six.

I came to Saint Thomas around, you know, visited all the vote centers on Saint Croix to ensure that, you know, everything was working well.

Came over to Saint Thomas, went to Saint John, went all the way to call me to look at that vote center, and came back to Gerald and then back over to Saint to visit the recent vote centers over here.

But, you know, today was I think it was more of an exciting day for people campaigning and the candidates.

I was like, one of my greatest disappointments is a turnout.

You know, I was hoping I was hoping that would have seen a greater turnout generally in primaries and what's known as a off election year or off election, a midterm election where just the senatorial and the boards, the numbers are generally low then, but a primary with a in a full term election where the governor is also being elected, generally we see better numbers.

But you know, it's I don't know what the reasons are.

I'm just hoping that for the general election.

You know, you hear people say that they don't vote in the primary.

They don't this they don't that.

Don't they want to vote one time?

So it's just got to respect everybody's wishes.

People just got on a sun.

Your vote is your power, you know.

And if you don't exercise your vote, you have no power.

So, you know, I just want to thank everybody from the election system, from the supervisor, the deputies, the admin assistants, the entire staff in both districts for all the preparation, all the work that they've been doing.

You know, people think elections are easy to run.

There's a million moving parts, and you never, ever.

You've got to check and recheck and double check to ensure that you have transparency and fairness in the work that we do.

You know, we get all kinds of challenges about different things, but, you know, never materializes.

You know, and we just continue to make sure that democracy rules here in the VI based on what the people want to see.

Okay.

So tell me, what do you want to see going forward?

I guess in the general election, I literally like to see a turnout in a general in excess of 60%, because that's a true anything about 52%, in my mind, gives you a greater representation of what the voters of the community that are registered voters really want.

You know, once you go below that threshold, you know, you have the smaller population making the determination for the greater population.

But if people don't come to vote, they don't express their right to vote.

You know, your vote again is your power.

If you don't vote, you have no power.

So I'm hoping that the message transcends that more people participate.

You know the greatest thing about this specific election, this primary, is that we're using vote centers.

You know, we are standing tall as a Virgin Islands compared to 50 states.

We are doing so many more different things that are so much better to make the process easier, to give people multiple opportunities to be able to exercise their right to vote.

So, you know, by using vote centers.

Up to today, people kept asking me, where do I go to vote?

I said, you can vote in any voter in your district.

Hopefully two years from now, we'll be able to merge your files with Saint Denis and Saint John.

And from Saint Vote in Saint John.

It's not going to happen in the general, but you'll see more opportunities, more things happening, because that's what we study.

We go to school, we look and we see what are the best practices available for the Virgin Islands.

I think we as a people should be very proud, because the election system of the Virgin Islands stands out among the top ten in the United States.

And it doesn't just happen willy nilly.

It's a work that we put into it.

So when I congratulate my board members who participate for the last two years and I've been making a difference, you know, the new ones that are learning, you know, I'm going to hopefully see at least 1 or 2 new ones coming in with an after the general.

So we will continue to persevere.

We're going to continue to work hard to make sure transparent fear elections is mantra.

So in the effort of transparency and fairness, one of the things that you guys started to do was the broadcasting for the ballots.

While you guys are going through the process, is this something that we're going to continue to see moving forward?

Absolutely.

And one of the things I think that for the naysayers and people who always have the doubt about the certification, about what's happening with the ballots, and, you know, there's just a whole bunch of stuff that comes out there when we invite the public to general public to come and see, nobody shows up, you know, but then you're casting and out.

But that's okay.

I mean, that's life in general, but just, you know, using the activator card, we roll out our process two years ago, maybe 10% of the votes cast were on activator cards.

That's the express vote machine, the blank paper.

I am almost willing to bet we doubled.

We probably went to about 50% because it might drop my travel.

Today I saw everybody using the activator card.

I think it's the wave of the new technology that we're going to be seeing.

Because you cannot spoil a ballot.

Using an activator card may take you a little longer, but as you practice and you practice, you get quicker at it.

So, you know that's the direction we're heading in.

We'll always have the paper ballot, of course, because you need to utilize it for absentee voting, for provisional voting.

Some people just like to vote on a paper.

So that's what we got to do.

All right.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Back to you guys in Saint Croix.

All right.

We are back here on the election system of the Virgin Islands.

We have Senator Kenneth Gittens with us.

We're going to interview him.

Let me just give.

And this is this is considered breaking news right here.

What we have according to the election system and supervisor Carolyn Fox, these numbers on synchro.

What I'm about to read out to you on Saint Croix.

Its final.

So those are the final numbers on synchro with combined early voting and votes for votes cast today.

So let's look at it.

The governor.

Governor Albert Bryan, 3270 votes.

Kent Bernier, the Bernier team, 1831 votes.

We have the Atlantic Candidates Bowl kiss 3002 votes.

Stephen Payne, 790 votes in the Senate Ariel Group.

Here again.

Democratic primary.

Senator Kenneth Gittens on top leading with 1693 votes, followed by Senator Novell Francis Junior 1660 votes.

Mr.

Francis is followed by Maurice James 1613 votes.

Miss James is followed by Diane Capehart, a former Senator and current candidate, 1433 votes.

Miss is followed by Nemi Jackson, who we just interviewed with 1251 votes, and Miss Jackson is followed by Senator James Javon James with 1203 votes.

And that is followed by.

He is followed by Genevieve Whitaker, center.

Whitaker seventh place, 1185 votes.

Final numbers.

For Saint Croix we have Senator Kenneth Gittens with us.

Senator, you are coming out on top in the Democratic primary.

The feeling right now, what does this mean for your candidacy?

Let's hear it.

Thank you.

And good evening to all.

I am deeply honored and truly grateful to the people of Saint Croix for their support and coming out to vote in the polls today, and I'm just looking forward to getting over the campaign trail and getting back to work.

All right, so, Senator, standby, we have the governor with an interview happening right now.

We're going to switch to Saint Thomas back to you if you want.

So let me do it.

I'll be quick.

Okay.

Let's do it.

Then.

What's up?

Hey.

Good evening guys.

We're here with Governor Abbott.

How are you, sir?

I am fantastic.

It's a great night.

Islands.

Great, great.

So numbers are coming in.

Are you feeling about what you're seeing so far?

Did you expect this?

Yeah.

Pretty much expected this.

I thought we'd get a little bit higher percentage, but, you know, when there's a win.

We did some numbers earlier on, and it looks like we got about 4 to 1 in Saint Thomas as we expected.

And we're about 57% in Saint Croix.

But overall we think we got about 65 to 70% of the vote, which is good for us.

It's a huge win in terms of elections.

50 plus one is all you need, and we feel confident going forward in the rest of the election that we'll be able to clean up as well in November.

So speaking of Saint Croix, some people may look at that as your Achilles heel.

In previous elections, do you think this is something that's going to translate into the general election?

I do think so.

I think that this election is a referendum on whether or not you like the brand.

And what I'm hearing from candidates who are running against this is no real positive message, just, you know, knocks against us.

So we won Saint Croix at 57% last time.

I think we had like 35 or 36% in Saint Croix.

And of course we watched the wind, Saint Thomas.

So we feel confident we'll be able to get enough in Saint Croix.

It's a personal thing for me that I got a win, just like, you know, it isn't personal.

It's like I've lived there for 40 years, and I really want to make sure that we put in a decisive win over in Saint Croix and put this election away.

But a lot of work to do between now and November, and we're looking to see some great debates, you know, like one on one with Canada to see test them out and see what they put the medal.

During this election, we listened to a lot of rhetoric, a lot of lies, quite frankly, on our administration and what of what we did not do.

And and I think that what you're seeing is, like I said, the anti brand, which which is fine, but if 66% of the people in the Virgin Islands are happy with us, I am ecstatic.

So speaking speaking of November, who which team do you think is your biggest challenger with no brainer Rouge campaign?

You know anything can happen in the campaign.

Of course.

You know the legislators who are running against us, the two of them that are running, no legislators that were encouraged from the legislature and became governor in the history of the Virgin Islands.

And no Democratic governor has ever incumbent Democratic governor has ever done less than two terms.

So, you know, there's a lot of history there when you look at the border history that those voters, those candidates have got less votes every election since 2014.

So we think that's a trend now we're trending up.

We did, like I said, about 56% of the vote last time.

It's going to be seen 57%.

We did a lot of work on the ground there and we go out for that and thank you.

The voters in Saint Croix, the voted for us.

And then Saint Thomas, of course, you know, we we steadily get the confidence of the state dominance.

And the Saint junior's pushing the brand.

Which Pope to you forward.

We hope to continue that right.

So other than of course, the fact that charity incumbent, what would you say is the big difference between your campaign and this year and that of 2018?

Well, I think, you know, even by the campaign slogans that you're seeing, we actually change course.

Now, a lot of the candidates that I see on trying to capitalize on the fact of on of happy people, but I think the majority of the people in the Virgin Islands are understand that we had two years of Covid, that we did a really good job with, that.

We fixed the retirement system that was down for decades.

We brought up the economy into a place where we don't even talk about economy.

We can buy it anymore.

The recovery is now in full focus and moving on.

So I think the problem still and individuals vote how they feel at the time.

They have somebody that was impacted by the health care system or the education system, which seems to be our two Achilles heel.

You know, they may vote against us, but all in all, I think when you look at everything, no one trolls or we have Mercedes because they have the scratch on the ballpark.

Right?

Right.

Well, I know you have to catch a flight.

Is there anything you like to tell the people out of Virgin Islands?

You go ahead.

I really want to say thank you to all the people that came out and vote, all of my supporters.

The energy today was just electric at the polls.

And I really appreciate all the all the energy that people put boards getting candidates elected.

I want to see someone voter turnout.

We sense voter apathy because a lot of people think that it's in the bag for us.

We don't feel like that.

We feel like we have to come out of work every day.

We want and need your vote.

Come on and do as usual.

Love you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Governor Flake.

And back to you guys in Saint Croix.

All right.

We are back.

Live at the election system of the Virgin Islands on Saint Croix.

And that was, of course, the governor there.

We just went out some numbers and we were interviewing Senator Kenneth Gittens, who is at the top of the pack there in the primary race.

Senator, we were saying, we will ask you, will explaining what this means for you and your team and moving forward.

So, as I was saying, I'm deeply grateful and honored to continue to serve and for the support received today.

Truly surprising but welcoming.

And I'm just looking forward to getting off the campaign trail and getting back to work.

What would you say contributed to your your top placement today?

I would say staying on top of the issues that really affects the people of the territory and being vocal on those matters as well.

People have to know that you're out there working on their behalf, speaking on their behalf, and I think I have done that.

At the same time, you know, we are seeing low voter turnout compared to 2018.

Numbers are not very encouraging there.

What do you think contributed to that?

Is it part of a voter dissatisfaction with the elected officials?

What would you say about the turnout we're seeing?

You know, I, I don't know how to speak, but to be frank and honest and yes, we are.

We just had a Democratic primary.

However, I have been vocal that the party should have its own should carry out its own primary.

The lies clear that the board is only to certify the process of the primary election.

But we continue to put the primary on the backs of the people of the Virgin Islands and the taxpayers.

And people are getting totally annoyed about this.

And I truly believe that this is one of the reasons why some don't come out or find it not of interest to come out.

And I'm saying, and I'm calling not just on the Democratic Party, but all parties in the Virgin Islands to start looking at ways for them to have their own conventions or however they want to carry out their party primary.

But it shouldn't be on the backs of the people of the Virgin Islands.

And welcome and congratulations, at least for the manner in which you ran today.

As a matter of fact, I had to make a change in my wardrobe.

On my way over here.

I was going to put on a green shirt, but I remember going green and blue there, and I think I can get in.

So I run back and find a blue shirt so nobody won't want to accuse me of having any favorite.

But let me ask you this.

Blue and green or not?

Green and blue.

We have both colors there with you.

But let me let me ask you this.

How many times you've served already?

This is my completing fourth term.

Your company, your for time.

And is this the first time that you've ran this high in a party primary?

First ever.

First ever?

Yes.

Okay.

And you are in fact, surprise.

I am the majority of and humble at the same time.

I have no problem with that.

The majority of the Democrats that came out today obviously say that Senator Gittins is one that they can count on.

Yes.

For the for the primary.

Now, I truly thank them.

I have one more question that I like to ask you.

If we elected in November to serve your fifth term, what in your mind you would focus on as a real priority, that as an issue that currently impacts the people of Saint Croix and in this instance, the territory of the Virgin as a whole?

Just speak to two of them that you think that are real high time priority for us.

For sure.

And I am going to push as hard as I can.

I really think that we need to get into Wapa and see what's going on.

I do have a measure to for us to hire a an investigator to do some investigations within Wapa to see what's going on there so that we can get our energy cost at a reasonable price.

And besides Wapa, we truly need to take a look at our hospital situation.

And with regards to the hospital, I must say that we in the legislature have been making ways to assist them in acquiring the land and whatnot so that they can do the expansion of the hospital.

We just need to get this rolling because we see that we're sitting, waiting for how many years now for JF North, what was supposed to be temporary to open.

And it's been about five years or so and we're still waiting for that to be open.

So I'm hopeful and prayerful that we will see movements for sure.

And not just Saint Croix Hospital, but the territory's health care system overall.

Senator, thank you for joining us.

Thank you again.

Thank you so much.

And thank you to the people of Saint Croix.

Thank you to the people of the Virgin Islands for your support as well.

I humbly thank all of you.

Thanks again.

Thank you sir.

All right.

So we want to we want to go back to the numbers.

And I'm going to give this.

We're going to talk about this.

But breaking news as it relates to the numbers on Saint Croix.

These are the final numbers combined with both early voting and total votes cast today.

Brian Roach, 3270 votes.

Bernier bent 1831 votes.

That large race.

Angela Baucus, 3002 votes.

Stephen Payne 790 votes.

The senatorial race.

Kenneth Gittens he was just here with us 1693 votes.

Noel Francis, 1660 votes.

Maurice James, candidate Maurice James, third, 1613 votes.

Diane Capehart, former senator and candidate.

She's fourth with 1433 votes.

Candidate Nemi Jackson is fifth with 1251 votes.

She's followed by by Senator Javon James in sixth place with 1203 votes and Senator Genevieve Whitaker seventh.

There at the bottom there with 1185 votes in the Democratic primary.

Total numbers on Saint Croix, inclusive of early voting.

And so this is what we're looking at.

We had two other candidates that we had Troy Williams and Hubert Hubert Frederick Lorenzo Hubert Frederick.

Yes.

They would be determined once the figures are released, whether or not they are 8 or 9 to what actual position or to have fallen in right now.

Nonetheless, they didn't make it.

And this what we would also make clear is election spoke to that earlier is that they have absentee ballots.

Right.

And and by law, I don't believe they can begin to count these absentee ballots until at least seven days after the election day, in this case, the primary election.

So I'm sure the Board of election will be working on those.

And it all depends on how far behind one is in the other.

Indeed, given the amount of absentee votes that come in that the position, whether there was some changes.

Yes, Senator.

Senator Nouvelle Francis, thank you for joining us, Senator.

You you second there, you know, in the primary.

Congratulations on the results.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Nice colorful shirt.

I have to mention that better.

But, you know, what does a person.

You know, second.

You know, you play second there in the primary.

That's a strong position.

You know, what does this say, do you think, for your candidacy moving forward and what you should focus on?

Well, first of all, I want to say glory to God, of course.

And really to take this opportunity to thank my team.

I have a very small but mighty team, and also to thank the voters that voted for me.

I'm consistent.

This is my fifth primary and fourth time being second.

So I'm consistently second.

So I'm looking forward to to the general election.

Again, I really want to take this opportunity to thank all of those individuals that voted for me and continue to be encouraged by the message, and I paid forward.

I make sure I keep my head down and do my work and really just, you know, kind of guide into the election process because, again, my performance speak for itself.

All right.

You know, I will go to a little bit, but I asked this to Senator Gittens, and I want to ask you this because it's a very important statistic we're looking at there.

The data shows very low turnout in this cycle compared to 2018.

You know, Senator Gittens, you know, he said he spoke about, you know, the parties needing to have their own primary as part of the reason why people are kind of, you know, disengaged in the process.

You know, what do you think?

Do you think folks are also dissatisfied with representation or with the movement of the territory?

They not seen the movement they want and they like you know what?

We're not participating in that.

Do you think that plays a role?

You know, folks feeling dissatisfied with their leadership?

I think that, yes, there is a lot of apathy in our community in regards to, to to leadership.

But I truly believe that individuals continue to be encouraged by the leadership.

And today wasn't really, you know, indictment on the process in my opinion.

Certainly, I think that the early voting brought out a lot of individuals to come out and, you know, Saturday voting again, it kind of takes away from our seven day Adventist community from coming out to vote.

And I'm hoping that most of them had voted in the early elections.

But, you know, we have some work to do in the Democratic Party.

You know, again, to to strongly encourage individuals to come forward.

And I think each and every one of us should be that ambassador, encouraging individuals to really come forward to the to the process.

And again, we have fought long and hard for the right to vote, and we have to continue to encourage our people to to make sure that they're exercising that right.

You know, I wanted to ask this quickly a very important question.

You know, Senator, you know, the Democratic Party is largely the dominant party in the US Virgin Islands and, you know, has held leadership positions, whether it's the Senate with a with a majority, sometimes super majority or the executive branch.

Are you satisfied with the progress of the territory on the Democratic leadership?

Absolutely.

Truly, there is work to be done.

But I believe that based on platform based based on the work that's being done, based on our collective discussion, again, we move with an interest, especially in light of us having a delegate to Congress as also a Democrat, as well as a president that's also a Democrat, positions us to be able to have a voice and be able to encourage and and we can see all of the federal funds that's coming through the territory as well.

You know, again, that speaks to the Democratic leadership being able to pick up the phone, have conversation and be able to to have some association.

And I believe in the Democratic Party and will continue to be encouraged by them.

So I think what I had one quick question, and I believe you, chairman of the committee, was that held health hospital has the human services and I, I sometimes I read a online paper the consortium I haven't heard believe everything you read it.

That's why I'm getting ready to ask you the question.

So don't be responsible.

I haven't heard any response from the legislature about the the status of this thing with the medical examiner's office and Morgan, a facility that exists under the within the structure of the hospital.

Is there something that you, as a chairman, that you are planning to do to address this matter publicly so we could get a better understanding?

Well, obviously, the legislature have been really proactive on this as well as the news broke.

I mean, I've had a discussion with with the consortium.

I've also brought together our subcommittee and actually toured the facility.

We have been talking back and forth and respect to that.

And, you know, there are some monies that were provided to the Department of Justice to make sure that the medical Examiner's office were established.

And we're a little bit discouraged by the fact that it had not been, you know, operational at this point.

We toured the facility in the subcommittee toward the facility on Friday as well.

And, you know, we continue to have meaningful dialog with the Department of Justice and the medical examiner pathologists at the hospital as well.

And, you know, where there is a temporary facility that had been established, we are able to tour the facility, you know, so we believe that there is some some work being done to address that particular issues.

Unfortunate.

It's unfortunate of of what was created there with the medical examiner's office.

You know, especially in light of the fact that they were complaints being lodged in a timely fashion.

But nonetheless, I believe that now that the, you know, the news has broken this particular issue, that some work is being done to to address this.

It's very, very important that we get our medical examiner's office up and running and functional because, again, coming from a law enforcement background, we don't have the importance of making sure that we have our medical examiner's office functional.

So we look forward to the work that's going to be done there.

You know, we also work with them in identifying suitable location here in Saint Croix.

There is a facility on Saint Thomas and we'll be working.

I have again provided the funding for them and have clarified that, in fact, the funding is still available.

You know, so we work with Department of Justice to make sure that they're doing everything necessary to make to have a medical examiner office here in Saint Croix.

And I appreciate your response.

And I think that that was a particular issue that you needed to have an opportunity to to let our voters and our listeners and our viewers here exactly what is being done about this issue.

Absolutely.

And we will have more formal discussion in respect to that as we move forward.

Because like I said, we just toured the facility on Friday and we've been working behind the scenes really just talking with the medical examiner, pathologist, Louis Hospital and all of the entities and stakeholders.

You know, to bring some semblance of order to the situation.

I just want to say that said, don't believe what you read, but we're the ones who brought this to light.

You jumped all over it.

So anyway, we're going straight to Saint Thomas.

We have an interview with Senator Donna Fred Gregory.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Again, I am here with incumbent senator, Senate, Senate president Donna Fred Gregory.

Tell me how you're feeling tonight.

I feel good.

It's a good night.

It was a good day.

It was a nice and sunny day.

We had a little bit of rain, which was shows of blessings.

But I feel good this evening.

Great.

You look great.

Thank you, thank you.

So you.

At the last number count, you were number one.

How does it feel?

Well, it feels good.

It feels good to know that the work that you're doing for the people of the Virgin Islands is paying off, that the people see you, they recognize your work and the appreciate you, and they are willing to give you another opportunity.

So it's a good feeling, but it's not a feeling where I have to get comfortable, because of course, I have to look to the November election.

And I also have to continue to work hard on behalf of the people, because of course, my term is not up in the 34th legislation.

So I understand that this is election night.

However, the work in the legislature continues.

Can you tell me what are you most proud of so far that you've done in the 34th legislature?

A lot.

One of the things that I did as president of the institution is I formed subcommittees, and those subcommittees are the Committee on GRS and and the economy.

And that subcommittee in particular, we were able to really work closely with the governor to get that bill passed.

I'm very proud of that.

And we formed a number of other subcommittees, Committee on Health and Infrastructure as well.

And we've seen the fruits of our labor.

We just move forward with we're working on the behavioral health bill.

So there's a lot of things to be proud of.

But particularly if I was to say something that I'm really proud of is the fact that we were able to move forward with the Gers bill and to ensure that our retirees and our current government workers sleep easy at night.

Yes.

And so, moving forward in the general election, is there anything that you want to say to any of the Virgin Islands or Virgin Islands citizens who might be unsure moving forward?

Well, what I will say is continue to look at my work, continue to look at those within the legislature as well as the executive branch, and make your decision based on the work that the people do for you.

And when I say the people, the leaders and most importantly, stay focused on what is important to the people of the Virgin Islands and please vote.

Your vote is in fact, your voice.

Yes.

It definitely is.

Anything else that you want to say to Virgin Islands citizens tonight?

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Thank you for your vote of confidence in the work that I've done in the 34th legislature, in the 33rd legislature.

This is my second term, and I have served as president of the institution.

I continue to serve, and it has not been the easiest job.

But you know what?

It's a job that has really helped me to to to find myself.

It has humbled me.

I've had an opportunity to look at the institution from a different lens.

So when you're president, you don't really see things the same way as your colleagues.

So sometimes you have to take the high road, and in taking the high road, it really makes you a better person.

So it makes me more prepared to serve and to look forward to what's going to happen in the future.

For myself politically.

Yes.

Great.

And has this campaign, this campaign cycle.

I know this is your second time.

Well, well, this is your third.

So has it been different?

Well, a little different because of course, you know that we are still struggling with Covid, but I've really made an effort to still get out, get out into the community and ask and talk to to our citizenry about what are the things that are important to them.

But we know that we still have to, you know, really be very careful because we have Covid.

But I think this election and I'm moving forward into into the November election, I think is going to be a little different.

We're going to really get back what we say outside.

We're going to be back home.

This it's a good thing.

Of course, the elections of 2020 was a little different because we were in the height of Covid.

So we did a lot of our electioneering, you know, from our telephones and behind zoom.

But now we are able to touch the people, which is really, really a good thing.

It's always important to really come close to the people that, you know, trust you and to continue that trust with them.

So I'm looking forward to moving forward to the, to the, to the November election and of course, winning that election and asking the people to continue to support me.

And of course, if they see me sidestepping to really pick up that phone, I have an open door policy in the legislature.

Pick up the phone and call me and say, look, Senator, you need to move in a different direction.

Let's talk about it.

So I'm always open to that as well.

Thank you so much for your time.

We appreciate it.

And congratulations.

Thank you.

And I'm again, I'm looking forward to the November election.

All right.

Back to you all in Saint Croix.

You're watching decision 2022 Democratic election coverage live on WTTG, channel 12, Charlotte Amalie and throughout the Virgin Islands.

We know we have these numbers.

We are waiting for Saint Thomas numbers.

But as of now, breaking news on Saint Croix is all the numbers are in inclusive of early early voting and votes cast today.

Brian Roach 3270 votes.

Bernier bent 1831.

The at large race.

Baucus, Angela Baucus with 3002 votes.

Stephen Payne with 790 votes.

Senator Kenneth Gittens in first place.

Dana Senatorial with 1693 votes, followed by Senator Nouvelle Francis with 1660 votes, followed by Senate candidate Morris James, who we are about to interview with 1613 votes.

She's in third place, followed by Diane Capehart with 1433 votes, is followed by candidate Nemi Jackson with 1251 votes.

Senator John James is in sixth place, 1203 votes.

Senator Genevieve Whitaker seventh place, 1185 votes.

We're going to go to candidate Maurice James, well known in the community.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My my voice is a little horse from the day.

But good evening to Lucy, Mr.

Richards and Mr.

Gilbert.

Yes, yes.

Thank you for coming up.

You know, you're you're placed third there.

You know, that's a very strong placement.

What's the feeling like?

And what does that mean for your campaign going forward?

Well, first I want to thank God from whom all good things come.

I want to thank my family and friends, my supporters.

I feel really good about what we've done so far in terms of getting my message across.

My focus has been on education first and foremost, and then housing and then health care, and I think I'm going to work a lot harder to get who I am and what I am about.

And in terms of what skills and experience and knowledge and education I bring to the position, you know, I'm going to ask two questions and I'm not going there.

You said education is one of your major focuses.

It is.

And and for good reason.

You know, the territory is very concerned about, you know, where we are and how we're moving in terms of education.

What would you do?

What would you advocate that would be different to take us in a new direction?

Well, I over the years I have been an advocate of early childhood development programs, and I've seen where the focus has been, of course, on Head Start.

But I think that we need to expand it to every child in, in, in the Virgin Islands.

And we need to find a way to, to do that.

Again, we don't realize that non-school factors affect a child's readiness to learn.

And I've been saying that, you know, we can have teachers who are qualified and ready to teach.

But if a child isn't ready to learn, it's not going to happen.

So that's that is going to be one of my big focus is when I get in if I get into November.

So I'm going to work hard to get that message across to the people.

Explain to us a little with love.

Lead with love.

Well, I truly believe that love is the core of everything that we do.

And if we lead with love, we can't go wrong.

And leading with love means understanding and being concerned about the people who you are serving.

Listening to them, understanding them and treating them with dignity and respect.

And so for me, love underlines and underlies everything in terms of where I am going to put my focus.

It starts with love.

Good evening and congratulations from me on your primary win.

Thank you.

This primary election is in your first road.

You ran last in what year?

1988.

And you ran as a Democrat or independent in 1988?

I ran as an independent.

And can you share with us on what changed your mind to Democrat this time?

Well, I was a Democrat then.

I was run as a Democrat to run.

And then subsequent to that, I, I ran in 1996 and one as a Democratic National Committee woman.

Okay.

Yes.

And then I later, of course, in 2018, I ran with Hill Dawson as a Democrat.

So subsequent to 1988, I've always ran as a Democrat.

So you've been committed to to the party and to run as a Democratic Party candidate.

You said it exactly right to run as a Democratic Party candidate.

My, my, my quick question to you.

And you take the last election that you ran in 2018 shared some lessons for you that may have been beneficial to you in this primary of 2022?

Not really.

Not really.

Because in the in the previous election, I was running in the second position where in the VA and I think across the nation most focus is on the first position, which is the government's position.

So it didn't allow me to express myself and what I believe then as much as I can as the candidate for a position.

So it's definitely different this time around.

Okay.

Well, I hope the experience was beneficial.

It was definitely beneficial.

You know, I at the last training that I attended with the Democratic Party, I said that this has become for me a spiritual experience.

It tests every part of you should know this.

It has been a training camp.

No, no, no, I mean spiritual experience, okay.

In the sense that it challenges you as a human being in terms of dealing with others and making sure that you are treating them.

Again, I said, you know, from a place of understanding and and learning that as human beings, we all have failures and flaws and being patient and tolerant.

So it's a spiritual experience for me, right?

No patience, tolerance and understanding.

Yes.

And love.

Most of all.

Great.

And again, congratulations.

I'm sure that it's going to be interesting moving forward, because we do have a number of candidates that are not resident members of the Democratic Party that run for senatorial seats in the District of Saint Croix and the District of Saint Thomas and John.

And I look forward to to paying attention to the candidates in the different forums and see how well they do.

Yeah.

And I look forward to sharing more of who I am and what I have to offer to the people and asking them for their support.

And I will listen and listen well from now until November.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

And congratulations again.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

All right.

So we'll see.

I think we have some time to dissect numbers now.

We've been trying to get to this point.

You want to hold these numbers?

Well, I'm going to I don't know if we kind of dissect that.

What I wanted to share with you, because earlier, before we got on results coming in, we were entertaining this discussion about our poems.

Yes.

And we were also speaking in the past, some of the polls on this impact and on its accuracy.

And I had the the fortunate opportunity to pay attention when the.

FM station was hosting the gentleman that was responsible for the Ratan poll and and some commentaries made by both him and the host, former Senator James.

And some of it seems to hold true, some some hold true.

And and not only some.

I'll go as as far to say most of it.

Because when you look at the predictions of the Ratan poll that had.

Center Kenny Gittins in first place is Jameson.

2nd November Francis and third Genevieve Whitaker in Fort Hubert, Frederick in fifth, Nami Williams Jackson in sixth, Javan James in seventh, Diane Capehart in eighth, and Troy Williams ninth after.

After the first tree selections.

Yeah.

There's been a lot of changes.

Yes.

In regards to incumbent center Whitaker candidate Frederick, they have no dropped down.

Which occurred to number seven from the from the poll that was having her at fourth place.

Fourth place.

Yes.

You have Frederick who was fifth in the poll.

He's he's either 8 or 9.

He's not in 1977.

I mean, Jackson in the poll was in sixth and moved her up to, to fix this place.

And then Javan James, he was in seventh in Nepal and he's in six.

And so with Capehart, who we had eight in Nepal, not with the poll.

She had jumped from 8 to 14.

Yes, indeed.

Indeed.

So and I did hear the host, former Senator James, they said, well, you know, the positions you have with five, six and seven, you're you have to be very careful because they're likely to have some interchange.

And so the person that conducted the poll, Raymond James, did indicate that those persons might vary.

Who's an eight or 9 to 8, seven might jump in a jump.

Yeah.

And the biggest jump there is it's Capehart from 8 to 4.

Indeed.

And so not to jump in the actual figures, but to jump in the projections from the the sample poll that was cheered.

Indeed, indeed.

And so let's look at the gubernatorial race there on Saint Croix.

What does the poll say and how does it compare to tonight's results?

But what is what is interesting.

We have a for the governor and lieutenant governor race.

They had the territory wide.

They were showing Ken Bernier and Oakland Bent at 48%.

This is what the Baton poll was showing with Albert, Brian Junior and Roach at 32 1%.

Now.

Territory, territory.

You hold on to that.

So let's let's look at that.

Let me let you read it.

Okay.

So you could make sure that I'm not reading or writing.

All right.

So on Saint Croix you had Kent Bernier according to the right and poll and Oakland went at 44% to the governor's 40.

Yes.

And so let's look at the numbers here.

That percentage doesn't hold doesn't hold true.

Because in Saint Croix the team left for 3270.

That's a domination right there.

And Bernier Bento 1008 31.

And then even if you if you look at the the territorial given these figures here that we're looking at Saint Croix, even the territorial projections of the poll will be way up.

We are because they have been leading with 47%.

And and you mean.

We're up here territory.

That's interesting.

I'm just saying that's what Paul says.

Yeah.

And no, we don't have Saint Thomas.

We don't have Thomas numbers yet.

Final numbers.

Yes, yes.

But we're going to we're going to run to an interview in Saint Thomas with with Senator Milton Porter when, you know, will be back.

I am here with incumbent and freshman senator Milton Potter.

How are you doing this evening, sir?

I'm doing excellent.

You're doing excellent.

Excellent, excellent.

Any any words that you want to say to the people of the Virgin Islands tonight?

I just want to say thank you.

Thank you for your vote of confidence.

I guess, in electing me initially to the 34th legislature and giving me an opportunity to serve, hopefully, prayerfully, in the 35th legislature.

So I'm grateful.

So you were the subject of two high profile ethics Committee investigations.

How do you think that affected you as a freshman senator?

I wasn't really the subject of it, but I understand exactly what you meant.

You know, I'm not sure I absolutely, when I was elected to public office the first time, never in my wildest dreams could I imagine that so much of my time would be devoted towards sitting in judgment of two colleagues and friends.

So it was very challenging.

It was very difficult managing the public's demand to get information quickly versus what the rules of the Senate dictated.

And that was the most challenging thing for me.

Getting some balance in terms of giving the accused due process and at the same time sort of filtering out some, but also ensuring that the victim in the situation was treated with a level of dignity and respect to and filtering out some of the distractions, because there was a lot of surrounding chatter that really wasn't a part of the initial, I guess, the initial probe.

So it was complicated.

It was complex, but I'd like to think that I was selected to serve in this position because of my experience as a human resources professional and my ability to be fair, and that is what I strived to do during these two ethics session, to be fair.

So what would you say to those who may question in your initial vote?

You had a no vote and then you changed your vote.

What would you say to those who might question your reasoning for changing?

Well, it exactly changed my vote.

Personally, I know that initially our committee, the Ethics Committee, voted for a specific penalty.

Now, once that penalty is a recommendation, Ethics committee looks at the information, makes a recommendation to the body.

The body has an option of either going forward with it, with the recommendation or amending it, and the body chose to amend it.

And, you know, just based on the fact that I think the allegations of serious.

At the moment, I thought that it was something that.

Was a reasonable thing to do at the time.

So this is now your second campaign?

It is.

How is it different from the first?

It is different in that I was a full time campaigner.

You know, I took leave from a government job to campaign for this job here.

Let's go round.

I am a sitting senator with responsibility to continue to work during this process.

So it's a little different because you're working.

You still have your committee meetings.

You can't be out there and, you know, on the street turning out literature or, you know, so I think that is really the difference.

You have to be able to eat and chew gum at the same time.

All right.

And what do you have to say to the people of the Virgin Islands this evening?

I want to say again, thank you to the people of the Virgin Islands for their trust, for their faith.

I, you know, public service is important to me.

I really believe it's a noble calling of the highest order.

I take my job seriously.

And when you say public service, I am a servant of the people.

And that is my mindset.

And that is how I was raised.

It's not about me being, you know, some royalty or anything like that.

I am a servant and I'm there to work in the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands to address bread and butter issues that affect them in their daily lives.

That is me.

That is how I've been.

That is how I will continue to be.

So I'm here.

I'm available.

All right.

Well, congratulations and thank you for your time.

Thank you very much.

Back to you all in Saint Croix.

Right?

Yes, we are back.

We're back on Saint Croix, live at the election system of the Virgin Islands.

Myself and cohost here.

Austin Richards, you know, we've gotten all the numbers from Saint Croix, right?

From both early voting and balanced votes cast today.

And so we have the total.

However we are, we are waiting for some results.

We're waiting for the Saint Thomas results.

And there are some issues with the the folks with the tabulation S and s right.

So Saint Thomas is already done.

But the company that deals with the tabulating on on Santa Cruz here, they are having some issues and they are working through those issues.

The Is and company.

However we have numbers on Saint Croix.

And so again the breaking news on Saint Croix here, both early voting and ballots cast today.

You have the Brian Roach team really dominating the primary election here with 3270 votes, followed by the Bernier team with 1831 votes.

In the at large race, which was a race, you know, being paid close attention to.

Senator Angel Baucus got 3002 votes and followed by Stephen Payne, who got 790 votes.

As you know, the consortium broke a story in April relative to some allegations, sexual harassment allegations against Senator Stephen Pain.

And just before early voting started in July, the Senate expelled him and they quickly moved to swear in Senator Angel Baucus.

And so this is the outcome of that race so far.

And so Mr.

Baucus will be facing in the general election, candidate Sherry and Francis.

And so that will be a race to watch.

Saint Croix senators, you have Senator Kenneth Gittens or the Senate Democratic primary race.

You have Gittens in the senatorial race, stopping all voters there with all candidates there with 1693 votes in second place.

Noel Francis, Senator Nouvelle Francis, with 1660 votes.

In third place.

We have candidate Maurice James with 1613 votes, fourth place former Senator and current candidate Diane Capehart, 1433 votes in fifth place.

Named Jackson candidate Naomi Jackson 1251 votes, and she is followed by Senator Jovan James in sixth place with 1203 votes.

Mr.

James is followed by Senator Genevieve Whitaker in seventh place with 1185 votes.

You know what you've seen over the years and historically, when you have candidates in the primary election placing sixth and seventh, they are very, very vulnerable in the general election because they're going to be facing the independent no party candidates.

You have Senator Samuel carry on.

Also, Senator John, Senator Johnson, they will be facing those candidates.

Something we didn't mention is, you know, former Democrat could really would have been would probably have been in the in the mix here in the in the primary election.

So he left an opening there.

And so we have those results today.

But let's talk about you know the the the candidates place in six and seven here in the Democratic primary, which would be Senator Javon James and Senator Genevieve Whitaker talk about their chances in the general election.

Well, I know we had center Whitaker on earlier.

Yes.

And I believe waiting in the wings is Senator Javon James.

Yes.

And what has happened historically is that the.

Candidates, particularly in a party primary that find themselves even in fifth, sixth and fifth, sixth and seventh position have historically been vulnerable to dealing with the candidates that are incumbents, that are no party members and in other instances, that other party candidates.

But also on the reverse, we have seen candidates who have finished in fifth, sixth and seventh position when they move out of the Democratic Party primary, have surpassed other candidates that have run higher within the party primary election results.

So this is going to be a particularly interesting race outside of the two sitting in convention center Franklin Johnson and center Samuel Carrion, at least in my estimation, I've seen some other candidates that didn't that would not have had to be part of this party primary that have been campaigning hard during the primary, and I believe they are preparing to rev it up to make a real challenge for these seats.

And I think a lot of them are cognizant of the fact that two years ago, I mean, the Democrats got five senator senatorial candidates elected.

Indeed, indeed.

And and if they want to be serious, and it's not the days of long ago where you had the ICM and strong no party candidates to challenge them, they have to demonstrate that they are going to be strong and capable, to challenge and be candidates that can be able to not only win or seat, but be successful in being a senator for the district in Saint Croix.

Indeed, we have Senator Javon James with us.

Senator.

Good evening.

Thank you for joining us.

If you're just a quick introduction of yourself.

First off, I want to say greetings to the people of the US Virgin Islands.

I want to say a special thank you to the Father God up above.

My wife, my children, my supporters, and even down to my colleagues.

Because I mentioned my colleagues.

If it wasn't for them, I would have.

I wouldn't have been able to pass meaningful legislation ever since I came into the 33rd and 34th legislature of the Virgin Islands.

I always repeat, there is no in team, and I'm willing to talk about my track record or anything that we're willing to speak about here today.

Well, thank you for joining us.

And so let's let's talk about the numbers and what we're seeing here tonight.

Like, you know, just mentioned.

And you know what has been the case.

Sometimes you see senators in six and seven struggling.

Sometimes during the general you have you've had a history of of of propelling during the general election.

How do you feel about your placement sixth place tonight and having to face other candidates in the general election?

Well, like I mentioned before, I always put God first in everything that I do.

As far as my track record, track record, up to any one of those guys independent as far as the incumbents incumbents, and you will see that I've been able to pass a meaningful legislation.

If you want to talk about legislation, Senator Jim should be successful with the people, choose anything besides legislation.

They will.

We're definitely dealing with melee and gossip.

So my record is there.

And like I said, there's no intimate want to say thank you to all my colleagues for supporting my measures.

But like I said, I've a history of being in the majority, chairing the Committee on Youth Sports Box and Recreation at opportunity to serve in a minority and board side of the aisle.

And when you watch my record on my bills, unanimously, unanimously in session, my bills do get passed.

So there is no if about when it comes to my record.

And like I said, I put my track record up to any of them.

Let me, if I may, just in the.

Yes and I can come back.

Just one of the questions that you ask.

Unfortunately I don't think I'm honest on myself, are interested in the melee, but we want to deal with the factual portion of the discussion.

The last election you finish in what position?

The last election I finished in fourth.

I ran for twice.

So every election, if you watch the track record, the first time I run, it came in fifth and then I placed fourth in the general election.

The second time I ran, I played six in the primary and I ran fourth in the general election.

So something that I always happen between the primary and the general election.

And I think that's was the question that Ernest was trying to get to.

Now, do you believe that the decision that that you made a couple of decision has any impact within the Democratic Party and the primary that was held today?

You made a decision after being elected to the 34th legislature to to leave the Democratic majority, I believe, and I don't know if you did it, but you announced that you were changing your voter registration from Democrat to independent.

Was that something that you did or you just definitely.

I have no regrets.

I did all over again because I don't do things by by hesitation or doubt.

There was a big uproar in the 33rd legislature of the Virgin Islands, and I was highly disrespected.

And I'm not going to mention the names of any individuals.

And I told myself, I'm not going to put up with this.

I'm an adult, like any one of them in there might be the youngest one.

And they were.

You going to respect me?

So sad, so done, but will still be able to get bills passed even though I was in the minority?

Yeah, and the point that I was trying to get from you, whether or not you figured that had an effect on on the results of the day of you finishing in the position of, of six and then you you said that and then you, then you come back and you're you're not going to run again.

Then you announce you're running again.

And then in addition to running again, you say a Democratic party.

So one day being a Democrat, the next day you want Democrat.

Then today against a Democrat.

If I was a member of the Democratic Party and I had to cast a vote, I would want to know.

Well, I can't remember.

I remember my name, I don't know, young to See.

And he was singing calypso calypsonian Louis Abel.

Well, you might might be too young to remember the song that he's saying in one year and now the next.

So one time he was saying this, then the next year he was saying something else.

So.

So explain to us what you think the voters should understand from your actions.

Well, as far as my actions, any human being with a level of consciousness should not tolerate disrespect.

And like I said, the reason why I switched to go into the minority and to become an independent senator, I didn't want to be that one Democrat.

Unaligned, don't have any allies.

So allies I had Senator Franklin Johnson, Senator Francis hi liga Senator Dwayne de Graaf.

So I wasn't by myself.

So to be the only Democrat by myself, I had to have allies in the Senate.

Need allies.

This is chess.

So for me, as far as being able to bounce back, it came as a result of Mr.

Caesar Benjamin, who unfortunately, we know what happened tonight, and Peterson and several others and even the administration, we talked to me and said, listen, we are for young people.

We want to see you in there.

Don't give up.

Come back in.

So after consultation and meeting with them, we had a great meeting and we decided, okay, we need this guy in there.

He's young, he represents the millennial.

If he leaves, who is going to represent the millennials?

Who's going to represent the youth?

So that is one of the many reasons among my wife supporting the decision for me to come back in the race, but just finish now.

Thank you for answering my question, because the question was asked is what made you go back?

And you said, Governor Brian Rene Peterson, Cecil Benjamin and other folks spoke to you in addition to your wife going back to the party.

Senator, what was the why?

Why did you decide to leave in the first place?

You announced that you were not going to run again.

You were out of it.

You wanted to spend more time with your family.

Expound on that.

Sure.

Imagine being the youngest in there, and I was getting constant fight down.

And this is the first time on a public forum I said these things.

I kept it to myself because I am not the type.

I'm not.

I'm not trying to get distracted and get caught up in the web of nonsense, but being the youngest in there is not the easiest thing.

A lot of fight, don't you understand?

And there's a lot of things I can expose, but I will never expose it because that's not my job here.

My job is to pass meaningful bills, meaningful bills, and will continue to do so with the support of my team, my staff, and of course, with God.

And so you said you were discouraged to a point where you didn't want to be part of it no more.

Yeah, man, there's a lot of faith on one thing to watch the Senate hearing.

But when you watch what goes on behind the scenes.

Senator, do you know what a in there?

I ain't been in there with you.

So let me let me ask you.

So, Senator, you so so you're saying that the leaders of the Democratic Party encouraged you to to stay in the Senate?

And so where were you getting the issues from in the Senate, where all these problems were coming from?

Democratic senators, when my political journey is over, I will place it in a book.

But until then, I'll focus on passing meaningful bills.

And like I said, if you compare my my record to the upcoming twin comments and, you know, it's a little premature to say, but I'm confident I have a lot of big major bills that were going to bring economic development to the island in Croix, and we're going to put up our track record quickly.

Give us some of the meaningful legislation.

You've passed meaningful legislation.

All right, $2.1 million to the cricket field.

I'm not saying that sports the reason right there.

And those are primary sponsor.

Primary sponsor.

Yes $1.1 million for the track.

You know about that?

Yes.

$200,000 to renovate the police alerting league facility in Win.

That's the one for rookie.

I was able, as a member of the Committee on Finance, to appropriate $100,000 in the budget for the VA Sports Commission.

The VA Sports Commission has been defunct and not functioning.

And ever since I was at the helm as the chair of the Committee on Youth, Sports, Parks and Recreation.

We know, we know how the VA Sports Commission up and running that sports raise, and that's revenues.

I wrote to Governor Brian to appoint Leon Hunt, who is the current chair for the VA Sports Commission, based on my advocacy.

Another thing that I'm working on is making sure that we have infrastructure bills and it's not passed.

It's going be heard on Monday.

So as you heard August 8th, watch the hearing on government operations.

You're going to see a major bill have to improve our overall infrastructure.

As far as the fire bond bill, I was able to pass a bill that speaks to erect a monument in honor of the firebrand queens.

The estate liberals of 1878 are not just erecting a monument, but to a resolution that speaks to the punishment that was handed down from the Danish government was cruel and just.

That's historic.

I could go on and on.

I passed bills about child abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, knowledge of sexual abuse of a minor, cracking down on negligent homicide of motor vehicles, cracking down on drunk driving.

Man, I could go on and on and have $12 million in projects that have passed since I've been a sitting senator.

That the one that I mentioned, the one I failed to mention, is lobbying Governor Brian to get an additional $8 million to finish the Jewish state.

And that was me as a chair of the Committee on Youth Sports, Parks and Recreation.

The track record is there, man.

And I will continue to do meaningful things.

And if you want to talk about and they might beat me, but if you put legislation, you win in.

All right.

Senator Jeff and James, you.

I want to thank you for your responses.

I want you to be the governor for one more thing.

You brought it up about this, the fire one and the tree queens.

Yeah.

Liberia asked them to bring back the tree queens that they take from friends at the front, and they got over in center mass, you know, seen statues.

Yes.

It is very beautiful.

And it's sad that that's where it came from, the political affairs and carried over as the governor for them to bring it back.

No, I'm not the governor's advisor.

I don't know, I said okay.

Thank you.

God bless you.

And thank you for having me.

And thank you for joining us.

Ready to rumble?

Not with us.

We want you.

So we are still awaiting.

We're still awaiting numbers from Saint Thomas.

Know.

And the SS individuals, the company responsible for the tabulation.

There's some issues to finalize to Thomas to finalize the Saint Thomas numbers.

And that is why that is what we're waiting for.

But while we're here, you know, we have the numbers.

And again, we could, you know, perusing those numbers here and just looking at the results.

What what were your expectations relative to Frederick?

He would Frederick some even according to the Ratten poll, some expected him to to place there.

Well, I don't know if I could call it an expectation.

I know that he had a high visibility campaign.

Right.

Let me let me put it this way, because we have.

Two pieces of two newspapers of daily circulation.

And, and I noticed, which is an observation almost every day.

He had one of the most expensive newspaper in the territory.

Oh he did?

Yeah.

Well, you have to read the other people papers to.

You can't just read your own people.

But I noticed that were like, wow.

You know, and most of ads was what you people call.

You have a electronic paper, so you don't have a jump page.

Right, right, right.

But I know a little bit about newspaper ads on a jump page.

You know, you you get an a jump page, you're paying big money.

You're you're paying some money.

So you had a lot of ads there.

You had a high visibility and a lot of signage around the island.

I think that that he did well in going out there.

So I am particularly unsurprised that if we look at it, that he's not even in the top seven coming out of Saint Croix, and not to say that I was a lobbyist was supportive of this particular candidate.

But I'm just saying from the visibility perspective, he was out there now.

I did hear him and he said this on one of the local talk show that he feels he is one of those kind of he's not one of those that approach people, but in these kind of, kind of kind of races.

You can't be you have to go out there and find somewhere.

You understand?

Yes.

To find a way to touch, to touch the touch and to make connection with the voters.

And I thought that he, that he was supported by a lot of the people in the Democratic Party hierarchy.

Yeah.

And a lot of the persons are also running for territorial committee position.

He should have should have probably placed the ads with us.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I know I'm not going to see who.

I'm just saying from what I saw.

Yes.

You know, the the numbers we have.

And so we're just getting some there early voting territory.

Right.

And and all centroids.

Centroids numbers including votes for today.

So all early voting territory wide and all of Saint Croix is voting today and and throughout the territory.

Well, all of his numbers early voting and and voters today, as well as the early voting numbers territory wide.

And so that's what we have here today.

And the only thing that is outstanding, as we mentioned earlier, is that the absentee ballots and the election system to the boards of election will have, at least I believe is still a lot.

You have to wait seven days to make sure that all ballots come in before they start to finalize the count.

Indeed.

Indeed, indeed.

And so let's talk about the, the the, the at large race there.

You know, we have a decisive victory for Angela Ball case in the primary.

I mean, a strong, strong win here.

What do you make of it?

Well, given the the insurmountable mountain that the the then incumbent, now former Senator Payne had had to address, I didn't expect much because the strategy after the action taken by the legislature, by Senator Payne, outside of him going to court.

I didn't see a campaign to solicit and to secure votes.

I'm still moving on.

Let's go and do this.

No, no visibility outside of a few radio ads on island contact, no communication with the with the registered voters.

And so that served to the detriment in not continuing.

So I think he got wounded by the action and that campaign and continue is push towards reelection.

You think this is a politically I can go down that far down the road?

I will leave that for the voters.

I know I could speak to what he's encountered in this particular campaign, and that is a mountain that he has a climate respective of that we don't know if there's anything that would come out of the legal challenges that has come forward.

And I have some idea of possibly what is legal counsel will be looking at.

I was involved in with the expansion expansion of understand some process.

I know what the legislature did then, the stage that was then presided over by former center on the West, and the procedure district court rulings on what should happen and what should not happen.

And so when they moved from a suspension to expulsion, the legislature in and of itself did so cross a space in regards to the authority and a procedure to to execute the authority.

And and I believe that's what Senator Pain is speaking about a due process issue.

Okay.

Let's look at the gubernatorial race.

And for looking at the numbers we're seeing here.

Again, we're still waiting for today's numbers for Saint Thomas.

Today's votes for the Saint Thomas and John district.

But so far as it relates to early voting and and the total votes on Saint Croix, including for today, votes cast today, we are seeing a decisive lead by the incumbent governor, Brian.

And.

And what do you think that would mean for his contenders in the general election?

So you are, you know, critical and general and some of the other candidates, you know, you got.

Forgetting the names, they get the names, some of the other independent candidates running in the gubernatorial race.

How do you strategize your campaign if the incumbent governor is seemingly getting a decisive victory in the primary election?

Good.

The incumbent governor, both the Brainerd Roach team, they will have an interesting next two months for the November election, because what I see, and that is the subject matter of.

How vast and forceful the challenges are going to be during this time period.

We know that the Democratic Party have identified their candidate for governor and lieutenant governor.

As of today, I haven't seen an aggressive campaign coming out from any of the other possible challengers.

I don't know if they think that it was preferred or beneficial to to keep their vehicles parked in the garage started.

Well, you and I may say that they should have gone out, but that does not mean that from their perspective, from what they know, that they are capable of doing, how they plan to address their campaign that is beneficial to them.

Right?

To don't open the garage door and let the car out until the results came into the matter.

I think that I and you agree that they should have been out.

They they are a number of pressing issues and concerns that came out in the community that each and every one of the challenges candidates should have been forceful and should have been speaking about.

We didn't have people to know one about about the issue, for instance, that one has nothing with the with the situation, with the manner in which the Department of Justice and the Attorney General is conducting the the business of mortuary services on the island of Saint Croix in particular.

Yes.

I mean, I think it was in more than 2 or 3 days after that, we had to fly three bodies.

Yeah, yeah.

Yes.

The same night.

The same night to same time medical examiner.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And not opinion and.

It didn't serve revert back to the to the to the old status that the medical examiner had to fry over the day with three bodies.

Even the medical examiner came from Saint Thomas, Saint Croix.

Where was he going to conduct the services in Liberia hospital.

You can't.

So they had to be.

So those are issues that we would have hoped that they would have jumped on, you know, they would have jumped on.

Yeah.

I mean, if you're not rabid in the campaign, you're you're not going to suffer failure.

Yeah.

You're not going to get nothing to eat.

And this is what I'm waiting to see whether or not these candidates are to come forward and be aggressive.

And then you let you let such major issues, such a major, you know, this is a campaign.

This is a race.

This is a competition.

Major opportunities, you know, is about opportunity.

That's correct.

Yeah.

You know, and go to waste.

And so it's going to be an interesting general election to see how, you know, how the race pans out.

Hopefully the horses come out now.

But one of the most concerning to him because in 2018.

We didn't have Covid right.

That appeared in March of 2029.

Keep listening.

I heard the Senate president talking about about we have Covid and we have we have individuals.

I'm utilizing this coveting as an excuse to to restrict the opportunity for for public participation and true transparency.

And in this case, I'm going to speak about the Board of Education.

Right.

And and I saw this inquiry results, which is looks very refreshing that the young man I believe in Dennis Lynch Dennis Lynch is leading leading doing well.

Yes.

And I expected if we could get some final some final results in regards to the Board of Education and the the state Chair of elections and the Board of Elections from the Saint Croix districts, we could speak, speak more about it, but I was particularly pleased to see see that the young man was running first for the first.

Was that he's not.

Voting results.

We got that.

Yes.

So so that that he was leading leading with the with the early voting.

And so in those results of they are consistent and come true.

Then there will be particularly interesting now the incumbents which will be.

Terrence Thomas Joseph.

Yes.

And we don't know.

Yes.

They have been on the Board of education for quite some while serve at least 3 or 4 terms.

So we are we are still waiting to see them results.

Other than just that for the center he was leading or the voting that we got.

Yeah.

Can he would hold that.

Is he still in the lead?

Is he still in the race?

Right, right right right.

And so we need to get that particular information then I understand that on the board of election is also going to begin counting absentee ballots on Monday.

Yes, yes.

With the expectation for the close of date that when when the seven day pass, they will have the final results so they could determine and announce what the results are with absentee ballots.

And so if you if you're the the team team Brian Roach and you're looking at tonight's numbers.

And again if these numbers hold and you're looking at a dominant, you know, dominant participation and performance in the primary, how does that shape your campaign moving forward.

Is it is it a check mark and strong support for an agenda, approval for an agenda that you've already been running?

And do you move forward with that campaign or do you make any tweaks at all?

Because according to what we're seeing.

So it's a pretty, so far, dominant performance by the governor seemingly showing that he's receiving approval from members of his party in the in the direction that the territory is moving.

And so and so do you alter your campaign?

Do you change it?

You just keep in the same direction?

I believe in this particular instance that the governor is going to kick in another gear for this campaign.

He realize that he wants to be able to not just win a November election.

He may also be interested in avoiding a runoff election.

Right, right, right.

And and a runoff require you to get 50% plus one of the votes cast.

We have how many candidates?

We have approximately 3 or 4.

We have four.

Four because we have the incumbents.

You have the ICM candidates, Fred and Miller.

You have the no party candidates.

So.

You have Picot and Turnbull.

And whether or not these candidates will pull enough votes to require a runoff election also becomes a question.

Indeed, indeed.

Indeed, indeed.

And so, like you said, a dominant performance would prevent that from happening.

Now you are the you're the Valley sorrel team and you're looking at tonight and you've got to think twice and three times, probably of how you move forward with an effective campaign to really to really give this incumbent governor some strong competition.

And so what are some of the strategies do you hone in on some of the difficulties that he's had and even admittedly, admittedly, had with, with during his four year tenure?

So he would speak of the Department of Education, you know, the challenges that's continuing there, and also with our medical facilities.

You know, I would say those teams missed out on some good opportunities, as you mentioned, especially with the Mark situation, to to really capitalize on, on, on a, on a wound or a weakness there.

But how how do you formulate your campaign moving forward if you are really sorrow and some of the other teams, their campaigns should be strictly focused and getting out on the road.

And I think at this particular point in time, what media campaign in this particular instance and I noticed if you if you click on somebody's website or you pull up your phone to check something on a website, you got people popping in and see some electronic ads have been coming in from VLA and sorrow, and in my estimation, I believe that just the aggressiveness is not existence.

And then we were speaking earlier with the, the, the Board of Election, Board of Education on race, when we had the initial totals that that came in when Mr.

Lynch was was in the lead, that was he had 398.

Yes.

And you had Terrence Joseph at 393.

And we know Hendricks at 354.

But as the night went on and the and the finalized with the results, you have Winona Hendricks with 827, you have Terrence, Terrence Joseph with 791 and Lynch finishing with 701 votes.

So they is a switch going on.

Once the votes begin, begin to travel it.

So Lynch right now is in place.

You had Hendricks in first place.

And the two incumbents taking up the first two positions that are being allowed for the Board of Education ballot.

Let's talk about the senatorial candidates in the center of Saint John district there.

And if we could pull up the numbers online.

And so what we are seeing, of course, we're seeing the donor, Fred Gregory, a leading the pack, and she's she's really held that position and really maintained that number one spot from the moment she studied, you know, running.

And so then you have we have the numbers here.

Well, the numbers that we have that being listed as an official results with Fred Gregory in first place.

Yeah.

You had caller Joseph, I was wondering if they was going to put up the right figures on the screen.

Yeah.

So to make sure that what we what we have, I could read out the numbers that we were initially given.

Yes.

That are Fred Gregory 1004 26 Milton with 1387, Carla Joseph with 1057.

Marvin Blyden 957 Lawrence.

707 Joel Brown is 6.99.

References.

With 670.

Chanel Francis 655.

K.J.

Louis with 400 and Teofilo Cyprian with 270.

And these was the figures that we mentioned earlier.

And then if we looked at the early voting results, which we which we don't want to we don't want to discuss the more early voting.

Yeah.

The information is still we're still waiting the numbers awaiting the numbers for the industry.

Yeah.

Although we have, you know, territorial numbers as it as they relate to early voting, we still want to know territorial numbers in regards to the actual voting to the 14 today.

So we want to wait for that and see what's happening there.

But and those numbers will be coming in soon we hope.

I think they just had it, but they remove it quickly from the screen.

Yeah, but those numbers will be coming soon we hope.

You know, with the S company, you know, some issues there with the final tabulation for the Central Saint John district numbers.

But hopefully we'll have those numbers very, very soon for you.

As it relates to Saint Croix, we already have we already have those numbers on Saint Croix.

And we already have the decisive victories that you have.

Senator Kenneth Gittens, number one, followed by Senator Nouvelle Francis Maurice James, candidate Maurice James in third place, former senator and candidate Dan Capehart, fourth place.

We have Nemi Jackson, fifth place, a candidate.

And she said this was a fourth time running and she ran three times before.

And this is a four for 40 election.

Yes.

And then we have Senator John James in six and Senator Genevieve Whitaker in seventh place.

A very interesting with Senator Whitaker.

Again, we have all the numbers here.

She ran very high for the general election, the last Goron.

And that was, I think, second place or something like that.

I know to in 2020, in 2020.

Yeah.

No, I'm sure she didn't run second place in the primary.

Talking about the general election was third or something.

She ran higher, probably third, because I believe between you, you had earlier you had Senator Francis.

I spoke spoke to being consistently running before.

And second, and I don't want to go back and take a test unless we have them.

But I don't believe that.

But the fact is, she she ran high.

Yeah, she ran high in the general election.

And here we're looking at the performance in the primary election.

And we we are you know, she is placed in seventh place.

And historically, if you're seventh place and you are facing, you know, independent candidates who are relatively strong for a general election, you have a lot of work to do, you know, to to really make progress and place and actually hold your seat as she is an incumbent senator.

Yes.

And that is.

It's not going to be an easy task in a general election, because I believe you have the two incumbents.

You have some challenges.

Yes, I've noticed even one that have been a challenger for quite some period of time centered on John Baptist here.

He's also become aggressive this campaign around with with presence and signage and moving all these things going around.

Yes yes, yes.

So so we're going to see that.

And so this would be, this would be the, this would be the second if, if Miss Whitaker indeed is not successful in the general election, it would be the second time in a row we have a one tumor on Saint Croix, you know, come in from the top and again, not all the way at the top for Miss Whitaker, but all up there and being, you know, out of, of of office we have with us Terrell Alexander.

And we're going to Miss Alexander introduce himself.

He has some information we need right now relative to what's going on with the numbers in the center of Saint John district.

Mr.. Mr.. Alexander, good evening.

Terrell Alexander Deputy supervisor of elections for the Saint Croix district, and we do apologize for the delivery.

And in regards to sending out the Saint Thomas and John district numbers, we are working to ensure that the numbers that we send out the are correct.

We always remind individuals and numbers are unofficial, so we try to ensure that the numbers that we do put out are the correct numbers to bear in any issues.

We did have an issue that happened in 2020 that that was unfortunately that happened.

So we don't want a repeat of that.

So just very final numbers crossing our ice.

And make sure when we do release those numbers, those numbers are correct.

I don't have an estimated time.

I was just about yeah.

So you say sometime in the morning.

No, we're we're hoping within a short period of time.

But I want to tell you a time and then then the time comes on is another half an hour.

But we are working on it.

The technicians are inside the building working, and we should hopefully give you the results shortly.

Shortly?

Yes.

May I ask the.

Your system that you're currently utilizing for tabulating and making a release of the the figures from the votes?

This is your s what's the name of your system?

That's the name of the name of vendors, election system and software.

Okay.

The name of this system is election where I'm not going to go deep into that information, but it's not a system issue just to verify that the numbers that we do put out are correct.

What's different with with what the results coming in and taking so long.

There were the issues, remember.

So we Saint John, you always have somebody coming on a boat to come to the center then deliver that results.

So it was just an information out of the be sensing query the headquarters.

So then the information has to be sent over to sent.

So I want to make sure that the information that we do receive from our center office is correct and that we don't.

Is that duplicated information.

Because that's what happened back in 2020, where we received some information from our office, and then we were rushing to get that information out and the Indian numbers got duplicated.

So we don't want that to happen.

So we're verifying that going one by one to ensure that our numbers are correct.

So our our polling places are in the voting centers in Saint Thomas, Saint John have been received.

Yes.

Have been tabulated.

Yes.

And you simply cross-reference in numbers that you have received for each one of the voting centers, correct?

Yes.

And you still can give us a time to know.

It's a it's a timely it's a timely issue.

You have to go through each one to make sure that you're correct.

We don't want you to give we don't want to give you guys numbers and then the numbers come back or it's incorrect.

Again, we always remain individuals.

These numbers are unofficial until the board certifies, which takes up to ten days, because we still have the absentee content process which is upcoming, which starts Monday, August 8th at 2 p.m.

and then both District Saint Croix and Saint Thomas.

And the public is invited to see that process.

And that's the clarification.

But the final results on absentee ballots, although they start counting on Monday, correct, is not released until seven days after the ten days after the election.

After the election.

So you start counting Monday, but they will not be released because you have to wait until ten days after to make sure ballots are coming in.

Yeah, we'll provide some unofficial numbers at the end of the absentee counting on Monday, but again, it's unofficial numbers.

And then at the two at the end of the 16th, if there's any ballot that's out there will be counted.

And then that's when the results will become official.

And then the board will certify the results.

So Mr.

Alexander, when the election supervisor, Miss Fox, came out, she said we should have heard by 930.

The question is whether we you know, you said you had the issue of duplication the last time around.

Were there any issues or is no issues?

No issues, just a matter of just fine.

Yeah, yeah.

So that was our goal.

Our goal was to have the information out by 930.

We do apologize for that inconvenience.

It is really an inconvenience because we all want to go home, and we all want to know who who are leading in the votes right now.

But we should we're working on it.

So we should get that out.

And you get dispatched for the cleanup job, which is 11:00 to go handle this.

Okay.

Yeah.

So what?

I was waiting you for the opportunity.

I was just address the public, just like in public.

Know what's happening?

Because we are a transparent agency.

We like to share information to ensure that we are all on the same page.

So Alexander 25 510.

No, you don't know yet.

All right.

I'm not a luxury player, but have a good evening, gentlemen.

I'm at home safe.

But as soon as we get it, we'll let you guys know.

Well, you've given us a difficult job tonight to to hold on and cover time until you have been able to cross-reference.

I'm verified numbers.

You guys are doing a very good job.

You guys can start advertising for the 2022 general election.

You know what?

What would be nice if you could get that information for us was a listing of the candidates that will be in a general election that were not candidates in the primary in both of the district, because of the top of our head, we don't want to be called in name of individuals who are running for senator in the general election.

And then we only remember Tyrrell name, and then we forget on his name and then them and the TV supporting some special two candidates on.

So if we could get that, at least we have something that we could speak to in regards to, for, for the candidates to look for the voters to look forward to what candidates will be in a general.

That is no problem.

We get Tanya on that for you guys, right?

Right away.

Okay.

Thank you.

Have a good evening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You're watching.

Decision 2022 Democratic election coverage live on TJX, channel 12, Charlotte Amalie and throughout the US Virgin Islands.

So there you have it.

So you know they're taking the time, you know, in the eyes crossing the t's making sure everything is is I'm smiling to myself because you know, you know, there's always people in the audience because in the past you had to vote in machine.

They wanted somebody got out with a cartridge.

And in the past where we had the paper ballots.

I mean, ballots was was a serious thing.

Yeah.

Because I remember the that would have been the 1988 and 86 and 84 when people used to cast people paper ballots and the supervisor election.

Mrs.

Carolyn Fox was was thanking and informing the public about how how the elections are actually conducted, because sometimes people have the the impression that the members of the board of election, where is Harris Morehead or Raymond Williams, that these are the people are there, they're counting the ballot and in action.

Right.

Which is a misrepresentation of the fact.

And the supervisor election made mention that the salary that the election officials get.

And I was supposed to I wrote it on a piece of paper to correct.

They don't get a salary.

Right, right, right, right, right.

Yeah.

They get a stipend and a podium to work on behalf of the registered voters in the conduct of the election.

And most each, at least in the past.

I don't know if they've made any changes.

You had you had a judge.

You had two inspectors and two clerk for each polling place, a precinct.

And back then, by law and again, I don't know whether the law changed the the judge, the two inspector and the clerk.

I let them couldn't be funny.

Same political party.

Right.

So you had you had a mixture of Democrats, ICM, Republicans and no party persons working on each poll, which gives the opportunity not only for transparency but to ensure that a particular person and Paul is not dominated by members registered by one particular party running a particular precinct.

Indeed, indeed.

And these persons conducted election throughout the day.

Now, with this new system and the presence and expeditious manner, I am sad to say that we're still here going after 11:00.

But I was telling you about back then when I had the paper ballots.

Right?

Yeah.

Very close when the poor closed at 7:00.

And this and you see them in there as poll watchers for candidate Albert Bryan or candidate VLA, and we and we're supposed to watch them counting the ballots then.

Yes.

Because just before 7:00.

Yes.

The caterers have delivered some of the best food available.

Yes.

And then people will be working out there.

Yeah, they started the count until they eat and all that thing.

We had to we had to address those members at the board election to expedite.

But you remember Debbie?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So so you go wait.

And if the meals are that good, then, yeah.

You, me and.

Those times are back.

In those days, ballots were being counted to close to midnight.

Indeed.

Indeed, indeed.

You know so, so.

And that's why I was commending the supervisor and the members of the Board of Elections for adopting processes that are expedited the process.

And so this experience now is just putting a little so on note and something that went well all throughout the day.

You think you think we're seeing some traction relative to movement on having parties conduct their own primary elections.

Are you hearing the senator speaking about it?

Folks are being more vocal about it.

You think we're going to see some change there?

Yeah.

And I got sent a getting made mention in regards to having parties conducted on primaries and the response from members of the party that has the majority amount of voters.

The responses are also a Republican, you know, party having gone a bunch of people to worry about.

But one of the things that's getting mentioned is about whether or not the party can come up with a fair process.

And I think the that in and of itself.

Provide a misinterpretation of what the law says.

That's definitely a concern.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because what the law says today is that each political party that have to conduct a primary should submit a plan of action, right to the election system.

So the state involvement so, so that the process can be certified and approved, because you remember that the election system have to accept the candidates that come out of the primary.

Yes, yes.

And the election system would also be concerned that the Chinese went through a fair process.

And so that if the process is fair enough tonight to utilize the equipment and the machinery of the election system to conduct the primary, that we spend close to $200,000 tonight?

Yes.

The there is no question in my mind that a political party based on the law could find one polling place.

Yeah.

What are your Democrat ICM.

A central location could rent and pay for the machinery that the election system will provide for them.

Yes.

And this 1 or 2, if the two location one is one west, one whatever, and people go in there and vote.

Why should they be afraid that this process is not fair?

Right.

And tonight you're saying that the same as that, that you use is fear.

And you could rent them.

You can lease them.

You could pay for, pay for, for the employees.

And then and then at the other end of the which is Mr.

Fox laughed about is but open primaries.

Right.

Which I wanted to ask about.

And that brings fear the most party.

I don't think that it is fair to have an open primary for anybody to come in and pick up a ballot, especially if they don't want to register.

Right?

That's part of the party.

So I would understand the fear of Democrats or Republicans or any party having an open primary.

The only reason I brought up the open primary idea, if that is we're paying for it right, then we should have the privilege of voting in the primary once we choose to do so.

Indeed, irrespective of who they are.

But we're paying for it.

Yes, yes.

It's not when I make the appropriation.

This is in front of the Democratic registered Democratic Party members have a particular identified funds in source in the government where I need the money to go into when they pay taxes.

And then we put it out there and then we pay for the primary.

Right, right.

You know, let's look at the the personality of the current governor.

And you know, how he's been in the public and just trying to understand part of what, you know, supported his victory tonight.

Right.

And so, you know, some some would say Mr.

Brian is one of the doctor of governors, you know, speak to everybody.

He's laughing his jovial.

And a lot of people who I think sometimes vote on emotion.

Right.

Some people don't necessarily take into consideration a lot of the issues.

Some people do, but some people live there like you.

You know, they're going to vote for you.

The, the, the governor before.

Mr.. Brian, you know, Governor Map, you know, some would say, you know, you know who he is.

You know, map is contentious.

Map is a little aggressive map.

Well, he'll tell you about your mother, so to speak.

Right.

But but but Brian is one of those folks who some would say is, you know, you can relate to you think that had an effect on his performance in regards to likable, yes, likable likability, but that's additional.

Waiting with politics is not just unique to the Netherlands.

Right?

Because could you imagine some of the things that the former president of the United States says, and how many, how much people like him and much people voted for him?

Right, right.

Just because they like him?

Yes.

And more importantly, because they like his policies?

Yes.

So I would not say that in the Netherlands that that Governor Brian may have received votes because he's likable.

Right.

There are some people that believe on in his policies and the decisions and actions that that he have taken, and they have decided to show that they're going to support it.

I agree, I agree, and and that is buttered.

Yes.

But the fact that he's likable indeed.

So I would give that second thing for a lot of those people in the party that have voted to support him.

And so let's look at some of some of the, the major accomplishments.

So they've been taught in this 100 accomplishments.

Let's.

Well, I was paying attention.

Well I was it's a lot to them.

So we're not going to talk about it I'm just going to pick.

It's a lot of what they see.

You know his accomplishments.

But let's look at the some of the major things that they've been talking.

And one would agree that GIS was a big deal.

That entire process.

There you have Governor Brian staking claim to that.

You know, saving gears.

Then you would have Senator who would say, well, you know, I it's where it is today because, you know, we failed it a couple of times and because we came together, we got a better deal.

So everyone's trying to take claim stick claim for the success of of Gers.

Do you think all the credit should go to the current governor, or do you think it was an effort that the legislature was involved in and the entire community, so to speak, to get where we are today?

Well, in my estimation, my understanding in regards to the issue is.

It's a false position for for the governor to leave the impression that he sent down a proposal three times before the legislature acted on it.

And for those in the community that don't have a proper understanding of of the of the process involving legislation, when you make a statement like that, you leave the impression that whatever you send down three time was the same thing.

And that in and of itself is a false premise, right?

You may have sent down something the first time the legislature had concerns.

You sent down second time thinking that you've retooled and made some changes, and they come down a third time.

And then on the other end of the spectrum, which is public knowledge to all of us, the executive branch acknowledged this.

Members of the legislature that are in support of the the Brian administration acknowledged that on a number of occasions that the legislature had established a subcommittee, yes, yes, to work on In and out the kinks and negotiating with the executive branch some of the things that they believe should be part of it.

Right.

And so that in and of itself is a process indeed, indeed.

And for the executive branch, negate the process of the legislators, irrespective of whether who chaired the committee, whether it was Senator Viola or whatever other senators.

The fact remains that the legislature did things in subcommittee before they got it out of finance committee before they got out of rules or straight to the floor to retool and to tinker with what is supposedly to be this great proposal that was finally adopted.

And given those two processes.

The question is being asked, so are you saying that only one person should be taking credit for what happened?

Yeah, yeah.

Whether it was a legislator, right.

Or member in the executive branch.

And if you're saying that to those of us that understand the process that to in and of itself is misleading.

Yes, of course.

And it takes advantage of the citizenry that don't have a thorough understanding of how government works.

And this is why we've been having this discussion about civics, people knowing how things process and for the lack of individuals that understanding civics, then they weren't going to interest in the voting process.

And then if they have an interest and they understand that the they're being misled into how the process works, that energy of itself creates the disenfranchisement and a lack of interest by passing.

So under the people like the we are the time.

Right, right right right right.

So where I go, go spend my time with you.

Concern is who did this and who get credit for this and not explaining to the people how the things work and continue along that vein, you know, so not only this governor, but the prior one, you know, taking, taking credit or talking loudly about paying tax refunds.

Right.

And so, you know, this governor would say, you know, he's done the most payouts, you know, in the history of tax refunds.

And when you look at that conversation, some folks online would say, well, you know, this is this is not something that you're doing that deserve praise.

This is what belongs to us.

What do you make of that?

Should governors be, you know, touting the payment of refunds?

Right.

I remember this gentleman name, I know.

Former Senator O'Reilly.

She she hosted an event over the University of the Vanilla Sound sometime back.

And she brought an ambassador from one of those South American countries, or one of the officials.

And.

He says it better than.

In the example that you say it's even a sheet of paper.

There two sides.

Right, right.

You know, we call them the hero according to that, when he when he break it down to it, he said it.

The paper got two sides.

So they is two sides to that that discussion.

Right.

The first one is which allows for, for governors where the current appears to have a discussion and make a claim in regards to the amount of tax returns they have been able to to pay, is is they are acknowledging that whoever my predecessor was, irrespective of the financial condition of the government, right, who were unable to pay out and reimburse you for taxes paid and due to you he wasn't able to do for four years?

I come in and I pay his thing too, right?

So so so so there's a dead by the time it moves around.

And you may have another governor, and this one wasn't able to pay all of the old one, but he wasn't able to keep up with current and this one coming and said, listen, I pay, you know, the governor leave and he ain't pay.

So it becomes a cycle.

And that cycle exists, right?

Is because for people.

Lack of a clear understanding of how our government function.

And the only way we to get reviews is by taxes, fees and finds that we generate outside of these allotments allocations that we get from a federal government.

And so when we have.

Limited collection or reduced collection of taxes, fees and finds the money, you and I, I don't know about you, but I know me, I don't I don't have the issue of getting a tax refund.

Right, right, right.

I paint every year, right?

Right.

I can't remember I saw that and and I pain and the money that you, I and others may pay.

Income taxes.

That money is merely taken when they have sharp fall in revenues to operate.

The government is either that or closer school.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Or reduce the services of a hospital or cut back on the number of police officers or equipment that, that, that they want to purchase.

That's and that will bring you into this discussion with the current events.

I was going to leave it alone, but since the board elections, we go here waiting.

All of a sudden we don't have sufficient equipment for a police department.

But the police department now telling me that that the equipment to detect bugs in government.

I know, I know, I know and then going on for, for since May.

But they can't tell you the daily news of the way this thing happening.

They.

Since we didn't know.

It's strange.

This is one of the strangest, strangest developments and I just, I just you call it strange.

I just got it funny.

Yeah.

And and the eve of the primary election, sending commissioner police out to talk about you.

Should I bring my name?

Whoever the man of the woman was at the FBI.

I've been with them so you could tell me exactly what was going on.

I only know that bugs.

I hear one reporter.

What do call him?

Covid covered operating devices.

Well, that's what they call him.

Oh, yeah.

I died that time of Covid until I did, when we put out some of the bugs.

And that is interesting.

And that's very interesting.

Very interesting.

You know, don't know what happened there.

So with my having interviews with the governor, he would sometimes he would when you ask him over the issues that he hasn't been able to address as part of his administration, you know, he would say, well, you know, we've been we've been fighting Covid, right?

But at the same time, you know, he uses Covid as a boon for the territory, right?

So the influx of monies, you know, that we've received from the federal government, you know, including a windfall of 540 million.

So I just watching you and laughing because the election system getting you and I into these, you know, because we discussion because for me it's.

I just recently get free paper.

Great free paper.

To be able to speak my mind because for five years as a member of the casino control Commission by statute and had a lot of politics.

Right, right.

Right.

Right, right.

So you're just released from prison?

Yes, yes.

Allowed to talk.

Just a little bit of politics.

And this probably one of the first forum that you're having this political discussion.

Very knowledgeable, by the way.

And.

The importance of us in farming and educating the people, I think is is a high priority.

I heard you speak about.

One time Covid has been accused.

The next time Covid has been one of the biggest success in a solution.

Yeah.

And which is it?

And can you can you use Covid to say we weren't able to to do certain things, but at the same time saying, you know, you know, Covid brought all is good.

What are you what are you going to say?

And I go back to you when you said one year, I said to first off, we have to acknowledge that the administration, the Department of Health and a number of other agencies have done a great job.

Dealing with with the pandemic and their responses, the establishing of protocols, the bragging rights to still bringing in visitors right to the territory during Covid, having what they call it, what they platform on him, when you have to log in or put in the travel portal and all these other things.

But, but, but that in and of itself cannot dismiss.

The availability of public, federal and local funding for certain infrastructure projects.

That has not been done right and not being being addressed and limiting ourselves to certain contractors and vendors in making sure.

That they are doing the work, where we didn't push efforts to get other folks out there to get get the work done right.

I mean, it's a shame we had to deal with the subject matter of.

Because of Covid, we forget that we have the time we pay a right, right, right, right.

I mean, because of Covid, yeah, we forget the money sitting there.

What a federal local Gavi bonds were tough to what what it is to pay for whole number rows.

And so that there are the infrastructure issues that have to be addressed.

I heard that getting scheme.

Senator Francis came on and they talking about the water and power.

But.

There's been a problem before Covid.

I don't know if what we're saying is because of Covid, the problem has been enhanced, right, and become more evident.

But it's a problem.

It's been there and it's been there.

And there were certain measures taken, some of them unsuccessful.

And I can point out which one of them, in the case of Wapa that have been successful.

Right, right.

You know, when you look at the the rats and pool and as we mentioned, you know, in some areas, you know, they were they were correct.

Others they were a little off.

But if you look at the folks polled, you know, a lot of them were not satisfied with the direction of the territory, so to speak.

On Saint Croix the numbers were much higher.

But on Saint Thomas the plurality were not were not in support of the direction of the territory.

According to this, according to the poll, according to the poll.

And so, I mean, what does that say?

What does that say?

Do you believe people are people struggling?

You know, most times if you you are better off than you were four years ago, you'd probably say, we're going in the right direction.

Well, a lot of things have happened since the pandemic that that deals with the economy, because what you're saying you have a larger number of tourists coming in in comparison to all the other jurisdiction in the Caribbean that we compete with.

The, the, the other figure and which we don't hear from the Bureau of Economic Research.

How much money are these businesses spending on the ground?

Right, right, right, right.

The increase and I'm not saying that there isn't.

Yes, but but that should be touted and known.

It should be.

Well, the increase in hotel room stands, right, right.

You say you got visitors during this time of the year.

Now we've got plenty cruise ship passengers, but they're not the same.

Cool ship passengers are coming to winter, right?

Right.

See, someone wanted to save up during the year to be able to get a cheap cruise.

They don't got food and drink on the ship race, so they come out to sightseeing.

Right, right, right.

Yeah.

And so recently there was a Senate hearing where Burr, Bureau of Economic Research, you know, provided some data as well as the Department of Tourism.

And they spoke of, you know, what we are seeing.

I think there was a drop in for for cruise tourism in terms of dollars and overnight stays do meet the lion's share increases.

Yes.

And the revenue they spend way more money, way more money, hundreds of dollars compared to a few dollars that folks who come on cruise ship.

Right.

The cruise ship has everything.

They come on for a few hours, then they go back in overnight stays.

You're in a restaurant, you're in a hotel.

And so they gave those numbers and there was an increase in that.

But the projections for, for the next fiscal year is that we're going to see growth in the, in the tourism industry, to the administration's credit and the Department of Tourism, the territory led, you know, the Caribbean in terms of destination visits during the pandemic.

And while we are still somewhat in the pandemic and that has continued right, we need to move on from the pandemic, the pandemic, the pandemic is over as an excuse.

Yes.

Because everything.

No, no.

Monkeypox, right.

And that's been declared a public and emergency.

But just just today I had had an event that I attended to just before coming to this one, and I met a friend that came over for the event, and they were like, what going on?

And you were asking why Saint Croix voters are feeling this way about whether or not they like the direction of, where are we going?

They flew the center mass because they could get the direct flights from other airlines other than America and fly from Saint Thomas over to Saint Croix.

And then they telling me they still had me scratching my head that when the airline of Cape Air to Saint Thomas to send that they were number 25 in line for departure.

Yeah.

So 2500.

That's crazy.

You know, what has been happening is a lot of a lot of pilots, you know, according to certain information that I've been able to glean, they've been, you know, retiring a lot of pilots, sort of sort of local aliens.

The Cape airs and whatnot have been struggling and but, you know, I don't know if you're missing my point.

My point is that they had 25 plane lined up to take off or in, in Saint Thomas, and they was on Cape Air coming from Saint Thomas.

And they know and they plane was an order number 25 to take off to come.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And, and so that when you see the reaction of people in Saint Croix in regards to traffic to the the buildup, cruise traffic and all these other things just flying out, this inquiry, we restricted, I think, Delta once a week or 2 or 3 times a week, whatever number.

Yeah.

And that's why I'm at Lantern.

Yeah.

You got spirit every day.

Yes.

You got you got America American every day.

They have two flights.

No.

Sometimes sometime in the year, they look to cut back to one.

I mean, but outside of that, we speak at the infrastructure and the investment and the opportunity to to fly into sinkholes.

Indeed, it's not an easy one.

In the past, I know they been negotiating with airlines to to reduce London fees, to encourage them to come in.

Right.

I just realized that any interesting time I did.

Yeah, I'm in New York.

I was joking and say, no, I haven't been paying attention because I don't be flying in and out of Saint Thomas.

But I say, yeah, it's a busy hub.

It's a busy hub.

And, you know, some, some may have arguments as to why it is that way.

Right.

So, so one one reason it's a pass through.

You have some folks from the BVI, you know, many folks from the BVI who pass through Saint Thomas to go home to the BVI.

But but Saint Thomas as well just has all, you know, it's it is connected to Saint John as well.

And you have you just have more.

It is traffic, more traffic and higher demand.

Higher demand.

Right.

And so we kind of have to create that on Saint Croix, create, create those opportunities.

Even our our waterfront in on Santa Croce relative to cruise ship visits.

Right needs to be updated.

Even the attractions and the activities that we have once and cry for cruise visitors.

Right?

So we're going to get for two more cruise ships.

Come in according to the to the Port Authority.

But do we have enough excursions, enough activities to when they come?

Are they going to enjoy themselves and return?

You know, it's like you're welcoming an influx of guests, but they're not going to return, and you're going to get bad reviews because you don't have enough activities.

You know, those are some of the concerns I believe send lawmakers and then the executive branch need to look at to try to promote the Big Island.

Yeah.

And I heard Senator Jovan James speaking about sports tourism and what he did to try to have this cricket facility.

Yeah, we just gained a kick in the butt because you're not going to have sports tourism without facilities.

You can't.

And.

Back in the legislature, in the 2027, 29 to 28 I introduced and it was wrongly supported for multi-purpose indoor facility.

We just close to 45 acres of land and Charlie Clark pasture.

In in Frederick said.

That was under the housing finance.

And then the next thing you know, they were people that encouraged the previous governor that, okay, we should be building this at University of Ireland facility where you get a few acres and leave 40 something down there, right where you could go and provide something.

And I spoke to the governor about it.

I said.

Listen, at this point, it's become less important where it's going, right?

What's the point that it needs to be built in this to be built until up to now, and this administration just completed four year term, we can't get get that done.

I mean, this is a multi-purpose team.

Sports from volleyball, basketball.

So you can't speak about having a sports tourism plan.

Right.

And you don't have the facility.

You don't have the facility to do anything and look at poorly I mean, you know, how long party Joseph has been sitting there and I know how long has been sitting because I made the first appropriation from what was called the Saint Croix Capital Improvement Fund, was to do an assessment.

And that assessment was initially done under the Turnbull Richards administration.

Right.

The governor was determined Lieutenant Governor Valerie Richards, and they did their assessment that the the structure could not continue to be loose and used.

And after that, we had to enter into an agreement to negotiate some money out of some bill they wanted to pass by Denham Governor John the Young.

We had a meeting with his then chief of staff, Nathan Simmons, and we made an agreement and set moneys aside.

A decade later, we just saw an outdoor term put on some pillars, and every year somebody wants to get some political mileage out of this by changing this and doing that.

Well, while the community in and of themselves is suffering, suffering from a lack of facility.

I just last weekend they had.

Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation.

I had a nice youth tournament and Christian said yes at DC Gator.

And but it's evident even that facility in short order is going to be in need of repairs and upgrade.

It was a 9090 youth baseball and different age category.

I went up there, I checked it out and and so that we have to become serious about looking at other possible opportunities to generate revenue, while at the same time meeting the needs and the interests of the year.

And I think we had a message saying that we must keep talking.

We kind of coming soon, but I know how soon.

Come on.

Going to come with these results?

Yes.

We're still we're still waiting on the results from the Central Saint John district.

And of course, Deputy Election Supervisor, Mr.

Terrell Alexander was here sharing some information.

And so hopefully we'll see.

We should have we should have that info with us very soon.

Well, I am grateful for this time for the camera crew.

They, they they got some chairs to wait until until they're ready for we and.

Right.

They probably more tired.

More tired than we are.

I'm sure they are.

Sure they been here from how you did trying to get this thing done.

If you want, we could switch seat.

You know, you could sit up here and talk a little bit.

I control the camera and do anything.

I believe the producer was sharing a message with us.

Yes.

He said.

He said the numbers.

The numbers should be out soon.

That's what he said.

Okay, I thought I heard that about 5 or 10 minutes ago.

Yes.

That's right.

That's why I was mentioning that they come in because they come in.

The numbers are coming and coming and coming hopefully anytime now.

We should have them in our hand.

And the good, the good part is, is that WTTG and VA consortium don't want to cut.

No, we're not going to come without having the all of the numbers territory wide.

It's not going to be cut until the numbers are here.

And we have announced the results.

You know, if you look at you look at the polygon, you look at the things that Virgin Islanders have at the top of the list relative to, to their concerns.

And we spoke about a little bit, but I want to touch on it again.

It was healthcare.

Yeah.

But then and then what is always there.

How long has education.

Education.

So so it was 35 health care and then crime.

And despite the number of criminal activity you had of those for the crime.

Crime on the bottom, on the bottom, on the bottom.

It speaks to it speaks to you know, I mean, the community is fed up.

You know, we're not seeing a lot of change as it relates to to crime.

But but Wapa continuously is at the top of the list of Virgin Islands.

I am so tempted, but I'm sure that you.

You must have been a youngster in school.

Yeah.

You remember when you had the acronym contest?

Oh, no no, no.

Tell me, tell me.

I can't remember who win, but I know my favorite is.

And I don't want to repeat it on here, but that.

Go up there.

Go.

But that's a good that's a good talk.

Now I could use the term and then you could fill in the blank.

Because when one of the.

She was runner up, she went to high school and she was a couple of classes below me, she said, what for was a wake up call and feeling, what is Sanford?

I think, you know, we're getting results.

We're getting results.

Results.

Results.

Yes, indeed.

Yes, indeed.

All right.

This is territory.

This is territory wide results here.

And so okay, we're looking at it.

So this is territory wide result.

So if I could respectfully, respectfully suggest Mr.

Merida.

Yes, sir.

Since we have people waiting to hear about Saint Thomas.

Yes.

If we could just give the.

We already cover the results territorially.

Yes.

For governor and lieutenant governor.

Yes.

And then.

And the at large risk which would include Saint Thomas.

And then we go to the and then we go to the Senate race, the Senate race for sentiment.

Yes.

Okay.

All right.

And so here we go.

Here we go.

Territory wide gubernatorial race.

Governor Albert Bryan coming out on top with 4015 votes.

Territory wide 4015 votes.

Governor Albert Bryan at the top.

Kent Bernier, senior.

Second with 2146 votes.

There was a total of 40 ratings and you have total votes cast 6201.

So again, Governor Albert Bryan is successful in the primary election between Kent Bernier there by twice the amount of votes, or almost almost twice with 4015 votes to Kent Bernieres 2146.

And we're going to go we're going to go to the, the, the at large and then and then the Senate candidates in Saint Thomas, the senatorial race in Saint Thomas territory wide angle Bullock junior at the top with 3546 votes and held Baucus junior 3546 votes, followed by Stephen Payne senior with 1010 votes again.

So Angela Baucus will be facing Cheri and Francis in the general election for the large seat.

Now let's move on to the Senate race in Saint Thomas.

You have at the top number one, Senator Donna Fred Gregory, with 2055 votes again, 2055 votes at the number one.

Second is Milton Porter, Senator Milton Porter with 2004 votes.

All right.

He's in second place with 2004 votes.

Coming in third is Carla Joseph, Carla Joseph with 1526 votes.

And then in fourth place, you have Senator Marvin Blyden with 1502 votes.

Placing six is a candidate, Joel S Brown Connors, with 1040 votes.

And in here we have just correction.

That is Connors is fifth.

Connors is fifth.

Yes.

And then we have is is six with 1000 201,028 votes and seventh Lawrence with 1006 votes.

Below that we have Chanel Francis with 939 votes, Keyshawn K J Lewis with 560 votes, and then to Philo Cyprian, 345 votes, right in total of 82 votes, a total votes cast 12,087.

So Donna Fred Gregory leading here, followed by Milton Porter.

And we already have the separate numbers.

And I was going to just reiterate, since this the territory wide summary results report, we should at least leave again the numbers for the Democratic candidates for the Board of Education, Saint Croix with Terrence T Joseph with 1184.

Winona Hendricks 1181.

And in the final third place, that is Dennis Lynch at 1099.

Only the top two candidates will move on to the general election for the Board of Education race from Saint Croix, and then in the Board of Education race in Thomas and John, you are Judy Gomez with 1905 1905.

Judy Gomez 1000 251 for area C Lockhart.

That's 1251.

In third place was Doctor Leonard Richardson, 778.

And also in the District of Saint Thomas and John.

The two persons will move on to the general election ballot to select two persons to serve on the Board of Education in regards to the Board of Elections.

Racing.

Synchro.

The first place candidates Raymond Williams with 1376.

Flooring.

Ordained.

Hustle, hustle.

Excuse me with 974 Kareem Francis with eight, eight five and France Buffy Christian with 766.

And I'm unsure from the printout whether or not there's only 2 or 3 candidates that are moving on to the general election for the board every elections in Thomas and John, but in the district of Saint Thomas, Saint John, they were only two candidates for the Board of Elections.

You had a Tanya spring it with 1046.

The liquor, the wood was 607 and a total of 14 write in votes.

Then the interest in Stitcher.

Stitcher on race because this is a party primary.

Yeah.

The overall territory wide winner appears to be Steadman Hodge Junior with 1811 votes, the Steadman Hodge Junior 1008 one one and second position was Reese is Richards with 1356.

That's 1356.

And in third position was Caesar Benjamin with 1165.

There were ten write in votes, and in this race there's only one winner.

So to stop vote getter will be Steadman Hodge and the district chair for Saint Thomas and John.

It appears to be Barbara Peterson.

She got 957 votes.

Yes.

You had Baker Phillips in second place with 796, Randolph F Bennett with 612.

And the writing totals were two eight writings.

And they went in that district chair race was the fourth.

Thomas in John was Barbara Peterson and said, I think the others would be published.

I don't see they had any results for district chair in Saint Croix if there were any.

All right, all right, all right.

Thank you for those numbers.

There is.

And we're just going to repeat again the governor race, Governor Brian and Lieutenant governor.

The incumbents were successful in the Democratic primary with 4015 votes to Kent Bernier and Oakland Benton's 2146 votes against the governor.

Albert Brian, coming out on top there in the Democratic primary election, and will face more contenders in the general election.

And we do have the graphic, at least, showing the Democratic Party representatives in the general election and the winners for the gubernatorial lieutenant, lieutenant governor, candidates for the party are, in fact, Albert Brian Junior, a lieutenant governor, wrote indeed, indeed, indeed.

And it's been, it's been, it's been quite the night there with these numbers.

But, you know, the governor's team, they will be celebrating tonight as they move on to the general election to face the other contenders.

And as the race, I suspect, is about to heat up and get even more interesting as we go into the final months here.

Definitely.

All right.

And so we're just going to repeat the, the.

Numbers there for the senatorial race.

We have Senator Kenneth Gittens at the top coming out number one with 1693 votes in number two Novell Francis Junior 1660 votes.

Mister Mr.

Francis, followed by candidate Maurice James with 1613 votes.

In fourth place, we have candidate Diane Capehart, who was a former Senator, 1433 votes.

Fifth Naomi Williams Jackson, 1251 votes sixth Javon James, center.

Javon James, 1203 votes.

And in seventh place, we have Senator Genevieve Whitaker, 1185 votes.

It.

Please those folks in place.

You have a L Frederick with 1179 votes there.

And so we got to talk about that.

Ossie and Troy Williams with one with 722 votes, with the with the ballots coming in with the absentees.

Is it, is it the numbers with with Senator Whitaker and Hubert Frederick are the close enough there.

They're close enough for the number, the number of balance.

They could have a change.

They could have a change there.

And you're looking at a approximately 1616 vote or six, six, 666 votes.

Yeah.

So, so so that that that does make a difference.

That does.

And we could see that.

We could see it flip or we could see Miss Whitaker even add on to her numbers.

Or they could flip.

So it'll be interesting again on official numbers.

But this is what we're looking at here.

Governor Albert Brian successful tonight in the in the in the primary in their primary election.

And so we're going to go to a Saint Thomas numbers again.

We're going to go to the let's look at the numbers you want to where we have them here and put the graphic up.

No I don't think we're going to have to repeat those okay.

So we got them.

We got them.

So let's go for the the senatorial numbers.

Here we have Senator Donna Fred Gregory at the top with 2055 votes, followed by Milton Potter, Senator Milton Porter 2004 votes.

Here we go.

And in third place, Carla Joseph, Senator colleges with 1526 votes in fourth.

Marvin a Blyden Senator.

Blyden, 1502 votes.

Fifth place candidate Joel S Brown.

Connor Connors, 1040 votes sixth place Lawrence Lawrence Basalt, 1006 votes and in seventh place we have Chanel final Francis with 939 votes in if you have.

And those folks didn't play serif, and second, with 670 votes.

Ninth Keyshawn KG Lewis 560 votes and in 10th place we have two Philo Cyprian with 345 votes.

See what I like?

It has been a particularly interesting.

I'm sure that particularly those viewers and listeners in the district of Saint Thomas, Saint John, please.

Yes, that we could finally bring the results.

I figure at some point they was like, we have to sit through listening to this and tried to kill some time for a particular period of time, but we've made it through.

We've been able to to bring you the unofficial results from both districts.

Synchro and the District of Saint Thomas, Saint John, as noted by the supervisor election that these results will not be deemed official until reviewed and certified by the members of each district Board of election, and then they will issue the results are expected.

That wouldn't happen until ten days after.

After today's election, though, they start counting absentee ballots on Monday.

Monday, they will not certify the absentee count until ten days after some time after that, the certification of the election itself.

So initially I thought it was seven, but it's still reduced from 10 to 7.

It's still 10 in 10 days.

Yes.

All right.

And so we're going to look at the at large numbers.

I think we're gonna bring it up on the screen.

Now the at large raise the final numbers for the at large race in the Democratic primary, Angela Walker's junior current senator, 3546 votes, 3546 votes to Steven Dipping, seniors, 1010 votes.

And so that's what we're looking at.

Mr.. Mr.. Baucus is going to be facing Sherry and Francis during the At-Large race in the general election, and that is going to be an interesting race as well.

Miss Francis didn't do too bad the last go around.

You know, she had you know, she had some good numbers.

And so we'll see how that plays out with her and Mr.

Baucus in the general election.

We're also going to be looking at the state, the state chair numbers there.

Okay.

We're just going to repeat it.

Okay.

Yeah.

So you want to do we have there for the state because we just interviewed Mr.. Mr.. Benjamin we have Mr.. Benjamin there.

Well I can repeat the numbers again.

The final numbers for the Democratic Party state chair race.

There's only one winner in the race, 1811 votes.

That's 1811 to Stedman Hodge junior come in in second place.

Receives Richard's 1356 votes.

That's 1000 356 and entered place in the final spot was 1165 votes going to Cecil or Benjamin.

And so given this race, it appears that the winner in this particular race was Stedman Hodges Jr.

Until the results become official, he has deleted as unofficial leader of the state Democratic Party.

Indeed.

Indeed.

Indeed indeed.

Good, good.

Very good night, very good night.

And so.

And you know, it was a long night, but we we are right here, and we are getting to the close of what has been an amazing event, amazing conversations.

You know, you have a lot of knowledge and history, you know, about our political processes here.

So it's been it's been a pleasure.

It's been a pleasure being here with you for sure.

Indeed.

Indeed indeed.

And so we are about to wrap up tonight, the important thing that took us through this, this long process for this political party.

And I know that we have people that also ran to to be members of the Democratic and Territorial Committee, some of them at large representatives.

Some of them are on district reps.

That's an information that we await the election system to to release.

But the mere fact that we had such a small turnout and irrespective of whether or not they do not or no longer purge the voter records.

Right, 7000 still remains a small number indeed, for for an appropriation of $200,000 and more.

And it could be more because expenses have not been finalized.

So this is something I think that are elected leaders should be revisited.

And hopefully we can see how best to provide a participatory process at a lower cost.

And you know what I want to make mention of?

I just want to pivot a little bit.

There is, you know, the folks who were not successful tonight, you know, putting themselves up, you know, going through that process of scrutiny, of seeking public office.

But they will not successful tonight.

And that's, that's that's fine.

You know, we need participation in our democracy.

You know, if we're going to have good lives, if we're going to get good representative government.

And I just want to speak to those who who were not successful tonight.

You know, thanks.

Thanks for your participation.

Thanks for putting your heart in the ring.

You know, because, you know, it's a process of democracy, a process of democracy that we need to continue in the territory.

And I wholeheartedly agree with you with extending the tanks and gratitude to these candidates, because it's not in a private forum.

It's a public forum.

It is, in fact, it requires confidence, energy, and sometimes, as they used to say in sports, some way to deal with the agony of defeat.

Indeed.

And that happens in the most races, indeed, and specifically in these.

All right.

What a night.

What a night it has been.

We've come to the end of our program.

Congratulations to all the winners and our heartfelt thanks to all who threw their hats in the ring.

And we also want to to again, thank everyone who made this election coverage possible on WTTG crew and staff, the Stafford election system, the candidates.

It was a pleasure working with you on this.

And more importantly, we want to thank the viewers and the listeners for their patients as it took us some time to bring you the final results.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

It has truly been rewarding.

I'm Ernest Gilbert on behalf of Richard and Marcelina and Andrew Douglas.

Thanks for watching.

Have a good night.