Hello, and welcome to the 2026 Senator at Large debate presented by WTJX TV Channel 12 and the Virgin Islands Consortium.

I'm Marcellina Ventura-Douglas, radio news reporter for the WTJX news feed on WTJX-FM 93.1.

And I'm Ernest Gilbert, publisher of the Virgin Islands Consortium.

Over the next hour, you'll hear from incumbent senator Angel Bolques, Jr., and challenger, Hadiya Sewer, PhD, the only two candidates on the general election ballot for the senator at large seat.

Unlike the district senate seats, this one is decided by voters throughout the Virgin Islands, although the person elected must reside on St.

John.

This program gives you an opportunity to compare the records, priorities, and positions on key issues affecting the territory.

For our viewers' information, this debate was pre-recorded live to tape, meaning no editing of the content.

There is no studio audience.

For this debate, we won't be using any professional titles.

We will simply refer to candidates as Mr.

Bolques and Ms.

Sewer.

Thank you both for being here with us.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll begin with your introductions, followed by a moderator-led question and answer segment, and then you'll each have an opportunity to ask the other candidate one question before we move to your closing statements.

During our Q&A, Ernest and I will alternate asking you specific questions drawn from information in the public sphere and from your experience as a public official or community leader.

The questions were not shared with either candidate in advance.

The order of questions will rotate from round to round, although we may adjust that order based on specific questions we have for either of you.

You'll have 90 seconds for each main answer with additional time allowed at our discretion.

We may ask follow-up questions when an answer is unclear, too broad, or needs more detail.

You'll have 30 seconds to respond to each follow-up.

If we determine that one of you directly or indirectly references the other in an answer, we'll allow 30 seconds for a response.

We may also continue an exchange at our discretion.

In studio, cue cards will show when you have 30 or 15 seconds remaining, and this sound means time is up, and we must move on.

Viewers, it's time to hear from our candidates.

Each candidate will have 30 seconds for an introduction in ballot order.

Mr.

Bolques, you're first.

Thank you, and greetings, Virgin Islands.

I'm your senator at large, Angel Bolques, Jr.

I'm number one on the ballot, seeking re-election for senator at large.

I have worked in many different capacities.

I've been a board of education member.

I've been a teacher.

I've worked for the Board of Elections as the administrative assistant.

I even worked in the legislature as a legislative researcher before becoming a senator in order to learn about the job to understand what it entails.

I'm seeking re-election.

Please check my record, see the results, and the solutions.

Thank you.

Ms.

Sewer, your introduction.

Good day, Virgin Islanders.

I am Dr.

Hadiya Sewer, and I'm humbly asking for your vote.

I'm number two on the ballot for the senator at large seat in the Virgin Islands legislature, and I am bringing my expertise as someone who has worked in universities, in the nonprofit sector, and also as a business owner to fight for a Virgin Islands where every Virgin Islander has the opportunity to live well at home.

We're fighting for renewable energy, affordable housing, and reducing the cost of living while improving the quality of life.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

Now, let's begin with our first question.

Mr.

Bolques, your published legislative records list 186 entries.

However, passing measures does not automatically translate to improving people's lives.

Name three initiatives that you personally drove inside and outside the legislature that have produced the greatest measurable improvement for Virgin Islanders, and what evidence supports that improvement?

Yes, I want to start off with one that I'm really heartfelt about.

I passed a piece of legislation, which is the Safe Haven Act, which was able to save a young girl's life in February of 2026, the first child under that law where an individual can relinquish their child if they are not able to take care of that child to the Department of Human Services collectively with the Department of Health.

In addition to that, I was also able to increase the vehicle rental surcharge, which is predominantly about four point maybe two or three million dollars additional into the government coffers.

That's new generating funds that was generated from that surcharge that comes from tourists and not necessarily our hardworking families here in the Virgin Islands.

For the third bill, I think the other one would be the Child Victim Rights Witness Rights Act, whereas we're able to support children who have been a part of some sort of crime and not be re-traumatized when they go into the judicial courtroom.

So we have video conferencing and other measures that are available to them so that they're not re-traumatized by their aggressor.

Thank you.

Ms.

Sewer, give three measures that you plan to introduce to improve the lives of Virgin Islanders and explain to us how will they be funded.

Feel free to include any initiative that you have already embarked on as a community leader and how it impacted the people's lives.

I fundamentally believe in fighting for land rights for Virgin Islanders.

I intend to propose a Heirs Property Assistance Program in the Virgin Islands to provide grant funding as well as workshops and programs to families who are fighting to retain and to maintain and revitalize their properties.

I recognize that there are both HUD funding as well as additional funding sources in our government in order to be able to fund this particular measure.

I also really fundamentally believe in environmental protections for the people of the Virgin Islands.

I know that we have to fight for clean air, clean water, and I am also pushing for agricultural stability.

And so using USDA funds as well as our funding sources in the territory and EPA funding, we can expand our water desalination programs, we can expand our abattoir access, and we can also improve funding for agriculture.

Thank you, Ms.

Sewer.

You have a follow-up?

Yeah.

And so you want to be specific about funding.

It was a bit broad.

Do you have any specifics on how exactly you'll get those monies?

Quite specifically for the agricultural program, we can, one, look to USDA funding in order to be able to fund the expansion of our programs within the Department of Agriculture.

But I'll also note that it's not quite particularly broad because we can look to the budget of the Virgin Islands and recognize that we appropriated six million for agriculture in our territory previously and 24 million for the Virgin Islands legislature.

And so I find that if we look to our existing funding sources, we can reappropriate as well.

Okay.

We're going to move on, and I'm going to begin with you, Ms.

Sewer.

The territory faces significant financial pressures with an estimated deficit approaching $59 million.

If successful in November, what initiatives will you bring to the table that would generate new revenue to the territory that does not come in the form of a new tax to residents or local small business or raising the cost to same?

I fundamentally believe that we need to improve our economy in the Virgin Islands, and one, we can collect the additional revenue that's owed to the territory currently.

We have hundreds in outstanding funding.

But I also believe that we can use the south shore of our territory to build an economy that focuses not just on our marine industry and connectivity and transshipment, but also on leveraging environmental solutions and climate solutions and providing those services and exporting them to the wider region and to the wider world.

And so revenue generation has to be a critical part of how we approach diversifying and growing our economy beyond tourism and federal dollars.

Can you expand a little bit more when you talk about leveraging environmental solutions?

What do you mean by that?

What I mean specifically is we're in an era where artificial intelligence is posing a burden on our climate and on our environment.

The entire world will face climate change, increased droughts, and challenges.

And so the Virgin Islands ought to position itself to find solutions to these environmental issues.

We, of course, face the hurricanes, but as we produce light manufacturing around climate-related solutions, and also as we actually create professional services in the environmental industries, we can export that knowledge, and we can also export those products.

Mr.

Bolques, same question.

Yes.

Thank you.

I wanted to clarify.

With the vehicle surcharge bill that I passed, it needs to be modernized.

Right now, it only speaks to car rentals.

We know that we have ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles, scooter rentals.

All of these rentals are not being captured under that piece of legislation.

So that means that's additional new revenue that still taps into the tourism market rather than our working families.

Outside of that, I also championed a piece of legislation concerning the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which is due to expire in 2030.

The Caribbean Basin Initiative was proposed by Congress back in 1985, which predominantly deals with industrial and agriculture as the components of the economy.

We know that since then we have modernized, and we have now included new technological portions to our economy, and we also need to be able to support industrial and manufacturing here in the Virgin Islands, tapping in not only to the South Shore zone, but also tapping into where the refinery is.

Thank you very much.

Mr.

Bolques, the last measure you mentioned, that is something that you've already implemented?

Yes.

So, we're looking for new ideas as you are seeking re-election.

So, it is a resolution to Congress, and what it specifically does is it has Congress before the Caribbean Basin Initiative expires in 2030.

It's asking Congress to have the Virgin Islands at the seat when deciding what our economy is going to look like after 2030.

So, it's pending.

It's coming forward.

So, that piece of legislation took me about a year and a half to push forward, but it's going to have a very strong economic multiplier effect.

You have a question?

30 seconds.

Yeah.

So, the Caribbean Basin Initiative is a 1980s era Reagan policy that gives preferential treatment to the Caribbean and Central America, and modernizing it and urging the federal government to do so really is a non-binding initiative.

It is urging Congress.

And we have to really take the opportunity to use our local laws to create initiatives that have direct action and measurable economic impact in the territory today.

All right.

Ms.

Sewell, a quick follow-up on a prior statement you made.

You mentioned artificial intelligence is going to lead to droughts and global warming.

Do you have any research on that?

Because there's contrary news and information on what you just said.

Yeah, I'll actually say that I was a researcher at Stanford University in the African & African American Studies program, where I taught on climate justice, and I also taught on environmental ethics.

And one of the things that we recognize is that artificial intelligence is both quite thirsty for water and for energy.

And so, we know that it contributes to climate change over time, and that it will create a significant burden on the environmental resources of our planet broadly.

Mr.

Bolques, we're going to come to you.

A qualification for the senator at large seat is that a candidate must reside on the island of St.

John.

However, questions about your residency and physical presence on the island continue to surface.

Can you state definitively that you live on St.

John and catch the boat every day to go to work like other St.

Johnians who live on St.

John but work or go to school on another island?

I'm a bona fide, certified resident of the island of St.

John.

I may not catch the boat every single day, but I've held positions, territorial positions for that fact, before becoming senator at large that required for me to travel throughout the entire territory, and I do so right now as my responsibility for this job.

And any senator at large is going to have to do the same thing.

Prior senators at large previously had the same argument as to the whereabouts of the senator at large is.

Again, I'm a certified, bona fide resident of the island of St.

John, seven generations strong.

Senator, what does that mean?

Do you live on St.

John?

That is my residence, yes.

So, you live there.

You mean you have a home there, and you stay there, and you travel back and forth?

486 Dutch GST Shopping Tour, to be exact.

Ms.

Sewell, are you familiar with these criticisms of Mr.

Bolques, and do you see them as valid?

I am quite familiar with the criticisms of Mr.

Bolques, and I do see them as valid.

Bona fide residency is not just about where we have an address.

It's also about where we maintain a meaningful presence, a physical presence.

And while of course it is necessary for a senator at large to perform their duties, the fundamental question is, do you return to the island of St.

John to sleep primarily?

And also, how does that impact the level of accessibility that the people of St.

John have to their representative?

30 seconds.

Thank you so much.

I don't live in Atlanta.

I live in St.

John.

I live in the Virgin Islands.

I reside here in the Virgin Islands.

I go back and forth to every single island.

I have constituents across the territory, Water Island, St.

Thomas, St.

Croix, St.

John.

And when I'm on St.

John, it seems as if I need to put a GPS on me for them to know exactly when I'm on St.

John or St.

Thomas or St.

Croix.

Again, I'm a bona fide, certified resident of the island of St.

John.

Thank you.

All right.

Senator, thank you.

Ms.

Sewell, we're going to stick with you on this next question.

Reliable and affordable electricity remains a vexing issue for Virgin Islanders, especially St.

Johnians.

Your website states, and I quote, "WAPA must work for us.

We'll push for infrastructure modernization and expanded renewable energy deliver to the dependable, affordable power to families and businesses needs."

Detail exactly what you would push for and how that is different and achievable than what WAPA has already started.

Thank you.

One, I'll say that I'll push for amending the Ratepayer Bill of Rights so that there are actual mechanisms for enforcement when people find that their bill has been estimated, and it's too large, or that WAPA is damaging its appliances.

And then I'm also really advocating for us to allow more local ownership in our energy system and in our energy grid.

And so, I'm fighting for legislation to create an enabling act to create a cooperative energy system within the Virgin Islands where communities can come together and share the generation and the storage of energy and have greater capacity to interconnect to WAPA's distribution network.

I want to ask, the cooperative that you're talking about, is this similar to what WAPA is already doing when it comes to their digital power grid?

There are similarities.

However, I find that it's possible for communities to own shared energy systems and networks, right?

And so, if a church or if Cyan Farm or if Cruz Bay decides that they want to build infrastructure for energy generation and storage, it'll be quite feasible, and we have seen this in other places across the world, specifically Hawaii as one example.

They also had energy rates that rivaled the Virgin Islands at one time.

However, through the introduction of energy cooperatives, they reduced that.

Thank you.

Ms.

Sewell, you want to weigh in on this?

Oh, clarity purpose, could you repeat the question?

Yes.

Well, it was specific to Ms.

Sewell's website and her push for infrastructure modernization and expanded renewable energy.

So, it was for her detailing what exactly she would be pushing for.

Okay.

So, the question has to do concerning the Water and Power Authority specifically?

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

So, we just recently saw that the LIHC is going up at 3% in the local news, and that's a hit to the families of the Virgin Islands.

One of the biggest components of why WAPA is having to raise that is because of fuel costs.

Now, if we diversify the grid and have green energy, that sort of subsidizes the cost of fossil fuels.

However, another big component is that the refinery is not open, even though there's EPA issues that we need to focus on, but they could have been under a local fuel supply agreement that would have helped with those costs.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

We're going to move on.

Mr.

Bolques, your ethics investigation involved allegation of workplace harassment and financial mismanagement.

You pleaded no contest to violating your oath of office, and your colleagues reprimanded and suspended you without pay.

The resolution specifically describes an unsubstantiated payroll fraud accusation you made against an employee.

What responsibility do you accept for your conduct, and why should voters trust you to hold government officials accountable when you failed to uphold those standards in your own office?

Allegations and complaints do not constitute guilt.

This matter was thoroughly investigated by the committee, which included three retired law enforcement officers with extensive investigation, and if there was any reason for me to be ousted out of the legislature, that would have happened.

Now, since then, I've moved on and continue to work for the people of the Virgin Islands.

Thank you.

Well, you- Adia.

Sorry, go ahead.

I'll come to you.

You pleaded no contest to violence in your oath of office, and you said you were not ousted, but you were reprimanded and suspended, so obviously there's something there.

And again, the resolution specifically defines an unsubstantiated referral for an accusation you made against an employee.

So- So the understanding is, yes, you were not out, but there was a reprimand that the same committee you spoke of decided to go ahead and put in place.

Mm-hmm.

Do you see any responsibility on your end there for your conduct?

And again, why should Virgin Islanders trust you to hold leaders accountable when you fail on those standards?

Yeah, we pleaded no contest because we wanted to move on.

So you see no wrong on your end at all?

There was nothing done wrong on your end?

I worked very hard.

I work very hard.

I take my job seriously, and I expect that anyone who is associated with my office does the same.

So, we moved on.

We pleaded no contest to move on, and I wish everyone well, but that is why we moved on.

We moved on with no contest.

30 seconds.

Senator Bocas, the legislature was time-barred from investigating the more serious sexual harassment allegations against you.

And also, you were able, to my understanding, to vote on the measure regarding your conduct.

And it also, I think, called into question the need for stringent ethics requirements within the legislature that allow for independent investigations so that colleagues are not required to vote on matters pertaining to their colleagues within the body.

30 seconds, final response.

There was no sexual harassment.

I dispute any sexual harassment allegations.

Thank you.

Disputing the allegations is one thing- We're going to move on.

We're going to move on.

We're going to move on, Ms.

Sewer.

Now, Ms.

Sewer, in your recorded comments about the refinery, you emphasize its health and environmental cost and propose greener industries, including research, professional services, and light manufacturing.

Port Hamilton is targeting a 2027 restart of the refinery, and Governor Brian has projected more than 400 jobs from its reopening.

Do you support reopening the St.

Croix refinery, yes or no?

No.

Explain.

I would argue that the environmental and the public health impact creates a significant financial and health burden for the people of the Virgin Islands.

And I would also note that at the time of the Hovensa closing, they were experiencing about $1.3 billion in losses, and at the attempt to restart Lime Tree Bay, Lime Tree Bay experienced about $4 billion in losses.

And so I firmly believe that the job projections do not necessarily prove that we have a viable restart on the table, and we are asking our community to bear both the health risk and the environmental risk of the experimentation.

So- Go ahead.

So when will Crucians see the jobs and industries you speak of?

Will the income level of those jobs be comparable to the infusion of middle-class jobs on St.

Croix and the businesses that income supports on the island?

When will these jobs that you speak of become available?

I actually believe that we can have environmental jobs created in the territory within 12 to 24 months.

And I would also argue that small and midsize businesses providing light manufacturing, also digital services, could have not only a faster restart if we change legislation, not only around remote work, but also create incentives to attract more of those companies to the territory- I would really like- ... without the potential negative downsides.

I would like to explain again, between the 12 and 24 months, you say those things, but how do we get there?

You have a plan for that?

Yes.

Actually, I find that we have so many people in the territory who are prepared to do remote work, and we need legislation to really advance that and to allow people who are in digital and software industries to create jobs in the territory almost immediately.

And then I would also argue that it is quite possible for people to establish and domicile businesses within the territory almost immediately around the other solutions.

And so- It's not quite clear as to how those jobs are going to... You spoke of work from home, where those opportunities will come from.

We currently have the RTpark in the Virgin Islands that incentivizes software and other digital companies to come to the territory, right?

And many of those companies are facing barriers around remote work specifically.

And so if we create legislation within the territory, we can create jobs in that specific arena, but we can also continue to incentivize business development for companies that are already here to expand.

I find that we talk about many of the barriers to economic growth, but they- Thank you, Dr.

Sewer.

Senator Bocas?

It's been 14 years since the refinery has closed, and while President Trump is loosening environmental protections because he seems to want to reopen the refinery because it's one of the last refineries that can actually process crude, which we know in Venezuela, since the US has acquired it, is pure crude.

Now, even if Trump loosens EPA standards, it doesn't preclude the Virgin Islands from strengthening EPA standards here.

But again, the refinery has to be opened safely with all environmental protections intact.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

We're going to move on.

Mr.

Bocas and Ms.

Sewer, this campaign cycle, the issue regarding the lack of births on St.

John has come into focus, an issue more recently championed by a St.

John Celebration Queen contestant and mentioned by candidates.

As you both are seeking the only office that requires residency on St.

John, what is your practical solution to avert the looming crisis of born St.

Johnians potentially becoming extinct?

We're going to begin with you, Senator Bocas.

Well, one of the things that I've been working on is proposing a midwifery bill, which would be supported by the Department of Health to include the University of the Virgin Islands, where we would have a dedicated midwifery division that would be able to have the proper training and be able to birth little babies on St.

John.

Midwives are actually doing it right now.

Unfortunately, those who can afford it are having their children born on the island of St.

John because they can afford midwives.

But if we're able to support such a division, that would then traverse between the islands and still include telehealth services for those visits that you don't need to necessarily require physically.

We'll be able to do that.

In addition to that, we really need to try to build out the infrastructure.

We need safe facilities where women can have their children safely, along with the professionals who have been trained and certified and licensed in order to bring these births forward.

Thank you.

Ms.

Sewer?

Ms.

Sewer?

I'd say that it's quite critical, in part because as somebody who has birthed children, you recognize that we pay both for the ambulance, the medical ambulance ferry, as well as the ambulance in St.

Thomas.

I do support midwifery bills and legislation to make it feasible for people to be able to safely birth children at home and as well as in a facility.

But I would also advocate for an expansion of our medical facilities on St.

John to include a dedicated birthing center for people who are unable to safely birth children at home.

Now, Mr.

Bolques, I want to ask you, how do you plan on funding?

You talk about building up the infrastructure.

I want to get both of your responses.

How do you both plan on funding the investment that is needed to expand said infrastructure when it comes to being able to have these services available on St.

John?

I think the most important part of that is a public-private partnership.

I believe that it's important that our executive branch lobby for the inclusion and support of public-private partnerships, whether it's with major hospitals or major clinics.

Where Virgin Islanders actually visit a lot, a lot of us go to Cleveland Clinic and other clinics around the United States of America, and we have good relationships there.

We need to look at how we can lobby those relationships, include some local funding, and if in fact federal funding is available, we do that, too.

Thank you so much.

Ms.

Suar?

I believe we can look at both capital improvement funds as well as partnerships with universities, as well as partnerships with medical facilities across the nation.

I find that there are many potential pathways for us to dedicate resources to establishing medical and birthing facilities, as well as our disaster recovery funding.

Okay.

All right.

Ms.

Suar, your professional website identifies you as co-owner of Love City Car Ferries.

The company announced higher vehicle fares for 2026, citing increased Port Authority docking charges, bringing the relationship between government fees, business costs, and what customers pay directly into focus.

What exactly is your current ownership stake and management role?

What binding safeguards would separate your private financial interests from possible Senate decisions involving ferry operations, port charges, public subsidies, and government agreements?

When your company's financial interests conflict with those of passengers and vehicle owners, how would you ensure that the public's interest comes first?

That's actually an excellent question, and I noticed that if we trace the history of our fare increase, that it has almost exclusively followed increases in minimum wage in the Virgin Islands as well as VIPA docking fee increases.

And so when VIPA raised their fees by 40%, and then again recently raised their fees by 50%, each time it followed an increase in our fares.

And I believe that we make a concerted effort to keep our prices affordable and accessible to the people of the Virgin Islands.

And we also historically have advocated for Virgin Islanders to have affordable and safe transportation.

I intend to recuse myself from decisions that directly impact Love City Car Ferries specifically, and it is a company where I have a minority share interest as one of four children of the owners of the company.

All right.

Senator Bolques?

It is a known fact that the Love City Car Ferries increased their rates back in November or December of the previous year, when in fact the VI Port Authority fee was supposed to be implemented in April.

So that means that the Love City Car Ferry company increased their rates before the rates were actually increased.

30 seconds.

We followed the 40% increase that dates back to 2017, and then when the 50% increase was announced, we of course recognized what that would do to our bottom line as a company.

And so that increase, of course, followed the announcement that the port is increasing their fees.

Okay, thank you.

We're going to continue.

Mr.

Bolques, in a recent interview on "Analyze This" with Neville James, you said ride sharing is already operating in the territory without the appropriate license and are being fined.

You also stated that ride shares can coexist with the taxi industry, addressing gaps in transportation and strengthening the territory's tourism product.

Further, you stated that during a recent Sea Trade conference, data show that there is a demand from tourists for ride share options throughout the Caribbean.

Yet, after five years of having authorship or involvement with the legislation, you say you are still researching how that coexistence would work.

If the need and the potential to generate new revenue is already clear, why have you not yet produced legislation establishing a legal framework, and when do you expect to put a completed proposal before the legislature for public consideration?

The complete internal draft of the bill has already been drafted.

It is before legal counsel at this specific moment in time.

It has been there since, I would say, December of last year.

Okay?

And they're checking it for legal sufficiencies.

It is a very, very comprehensive piece of legislation.

And again, coexistence is at its core.

We have to make sure that we coexist with the taxi and the ride share companies.

They're doing it across all of the United States of America.

They're coexisting.

So if they can do it, we can do it.

Again, with the Sea Trade conference, it was very, very clear to all the senators that attended and the ones who came to the senators that the demand by the tourism sector that visits this geographic location too, include the rest of the Caribbean, wants ride share options and services.

If not, they're going to go somewhere else where it exists, and that's going to harm our GDP.

Thank you so much.

And so, Senator, when do you expect it to come to the Senate floor?

Well, as long as legal counsel provides us with a blue, then we would go and have follow-up meetings with all of the stakeholders, so that there is a town hall of sorts, so that inclusion and collaboration takes place.

But that is something that still will take some time.

And again, there were two previous senators that had the bill, which I supported, and when both of them left, I decided to take up the ownership of the bill.

So, a lot of it has been a lot of hard work and years of conversations and meetings and drafting.

Thank you.

Before we go to Ms.

Suar, can you give us any specific insights into what the bill actually looks like?

The bill is about, I would say, almost 100 pages.

It includes the medallions for the taxi drivers and giving them an option to split their medallion.

There is exemptions as to areas where ride share cannot go.

They cannot go to airports.

They cannot go to seaports.

If hotels don't want them there, they cannot go to airports.

So we have to try to find a structure where taxis still exist and ride shares are able to fill in the gap, because the gap actually exists.

We have working families that need to go.

So Ms.

Suar, where do you stand on the ride share issue?

Well, I'm interested in understanding better the potential economic impact on our taxi providers, as well as on our economy broadly.

And one of the things that I champion and believe in is having better data for decision-making in our government.

And so there's an economic review that I would like to do around the proposed ride sharing bill before having a firm stance.

Were you paying attention to the coverage of the legislation that has been going through?

Have they spoken about any data analytics that they've performed?

Well, the data analytics doesn't necessarily tell us in detail what the economic impact will be to our taxi drivers currently.

And so I find that we are actually navigating a moment where the projections are quite vague.

So how do you gauge how it impacts the current taxis and how it impacts tourism, as was stated at Sea Trade, that tourists will be looking to go elsewhere if they don't have those options?

I absolutely believe that ride sharing services will provide convenience for both the people of the Virgin Islands as well as our visitors.

And I understand that that, of course, could bode well for improving the experience that people have when they are in the territory.

And I also do firmly believe that we do need to understand concretely how it will impact our taxi drivers.

And so your official stance is what?

My official stance is I support ride sharing broadly, and I would like concrete understanding of the potential impact on our taxi industry.

All right.

Senator Bolques, you had a final response?

Sure.

I'll put one on the record.

We also met with Puerto Rico ride share companies to understand what they went through in the sense of trying to become relevant or have the law supporting ride sharing in Puerto Rico, and they are coexisting right now.

There's still taxis, there's still ride share in Puerto Rico, and they've shared data with us to help us draft our bill as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you Ms.

Sewell, your housing platform proposes resolving inherited land problems, accelerating construction, and restoring buildings to create more housing.

But the National Park Service describes the Virgin Islands National Park as covering about 60% of St.

John, and obtaining the preferred site for a new public school on St.

John required a federal land exchange.

Where specifically would the additional affordable housing you propose be built?

How do you identify suitable parcels and the owners, and does your plan depend on land that has not been secured?

What difficult land use decision are you prepared to support to make those homes possible?

I really love this question, in part because one of the things we know is that our housing stock in the Virgin Islands is quite high compared to the US.

However, our vacancy rate is also much higher.

And so we actually have one in four homes in St.

John that's vacant, and we know that approximately 50% of the homes on St.

John are occupied by seasonal owners rather than full-time owners.

And so one of the things that I propose is that we actually turn to the existing market to acquire properties for affordable housing programs, and also that we adjust our affordable housing program structures so that they're feasible on St.

John.

So when we look at buy a home, build a lot, or buy a lot, build a home, we recognize that you get 50,000 for about half an acre.

On St.

John, that's virtually impossible.

And so we need to adjust our eligibility requirements so that the programs we have can work on St.

John with limited land.

Oh.

Well, let me follow up quickly.

So in terms of funding for this, as you know, the federal government has been way more critical to the territories, to our local government, and some of the programs you mentioned, they are funded by federal dollars.

And so where do we get this extra money to make this a reality?

I'll be frank.

When I penned my platform, this was before we actually had HUD issue the freeze for our funding.

And so in some instances, I actually have to return to the drawing board to find additional funding sources outside of the existing ones that we currently have.

But I do believe that this is a space where we can draw on private and public partnerships as well.

Mr.

Bolques?

I'll chime in here.

To clarify, the freeze is only for new funding.

So all the funding that exists is still available for anyone wants to have a project for housing.

We know on St.

John we have large landowners and may not have the funding available to build out, but we have, like the Sproul family, have a big project coming up for approval before the legislature that would provide moderate housing, to include, I believe, another project.

I can't recall the last name of the family, but there are projects coming up in the pipeline.

Thank you.

Our follow-up to you, Mr.

Bolques, is what is your plan for affordable housing on the island of St.

John?

So for affordable housing, I believe that we need to look at the way we build.

I think we all want to build these exuberant mansions, and we need to start looking at the tiny home structures.

We need to start looking at workforce housing.

We have single-family housing.

But we really need to look at the materials that we're building with and try to find something that would be at a more reasonable price point.

I believe that the funding that still exists with the Housing Finance Authority for housing, specifically for the island of St.

John, if we have families coming forward that are willing to work with the Virgin Islands government to provide low income or moderate income housing, the funds are there.

The problem is everybody wants to build more luxurious housing or apartments.

So my plan is to lobby large landowners on the island of St.

John and ask them if they're willing to partner with the Housing Finance Authority to provide low or moderate income housing for the people of St.

John.

30 seconds, Ms.

Sewell.

I would note that it's not just luxury homes that are costing exorbitant prices on St.

John.

It's currently a contractor's market, and so young St.

Johnians that I speak to every day who are pursuing building homes are getting quoted 600,000, $700,000 for very modest units.

And so we have to actually introduce legislation to make more contractors and create a pipeline to diversify and have more people in the industry.

Many of our contractors struggle with bonding and insurance, therefore making it cost prohibitive.

Thank you.

I want to go to both of you now, Ms.

Sewell and Mr.

Bolques.

There is a continuous conversation surrounding whether the attorney general in the Virgin Islands should remain appointed or be elected, and you seem to both have different positions.

In an October 2025 opinion piece published in the St.

Thomas Source, Ms.

Sewell, you argue that the attorney general should be elected rather than appointed.

And Mr.

Bolques, as senator in 2024, you voted against bill number 35-0248 to request that Congress amend the Revised Organic Act to allow for an elected attorney general, which failed in committee.

Let's have a debate on your positions.

Begin.

So my position is that we as a legislature would not be able to change that, Congress would.

In addition to that, we have the sixth constitutional convention.

They're now drafting a constitution.

It may include, I've not seen a draft, it may include the election of an attorney general.

But at the time, specifically at that moment in time, our hands were tied.

We were not able to make any decision that would actually be able to change that unless it goes to Congress.

And at the time, the sixth constitutional convention had already convened, and the matter was more so better for them to decide.

Now, I would support it, but again, the constitutional convention had already convened, and at the time, it seemed premature to do that.

Ms.

Sewell?

We live in a territory where we have a lot of concerns about corruption and nepotism in our government, and I find that it is really important to have a greater separation of power from the executive branch in the territory.

And so electing the attorney general gives the people of the Virgin Islands an opportunity to have a say and to be confident in some of the decisions that come out of the attorney general's office when they align with decisions or suggestions and influence coming out of our executive branch.

I would also note that, of course, the sixth constitutional convention will give the government of the Virgin Islands an opportunity to decide whether the attorney general will be elected or in the future.

But it's really the legislature of the Virgin Islands that will steward the implementation of any constitution that's ratified for the people of the Virgin Islands, and I believe it's important for us to have an opinion on these matters.

And so for clarity, you are against the elected attorney general, Senator Bolques?

No, for clarity, I am not.

But at the time, it was premature of us to vote on something of that nature when the sixth constitutional convention had already convened, and the matter would still have to go to Congress, and we're in the middle of writing a constitution.

So it's almost like the chicken before the egg.

Okay.

Mr.

Sewell, you proposed a certificate that would help Virgin Islands-owned businesses compete for contracts.

What exactly would make a business locally owned, and how would you prevent an outside company from using a local name or nominal partner to obtain the preference?

Actually, I think that these are standards that we could decide together as a community.

This is one that I want to bring to the stakeholders and our business sector, to get an understanding of how our wider community is determining what it means to be a Virgin Islands-based business.

We know that our EDC incentive program has residency requirements, but those often aren't long enough to establish being domiciled in the territory.

And so a part of what we are considering is, is this a business that's domiciled in the Virgin Islands?

Are the owners people who have resided in the territory or attended school in the territory for at least 10 years or longer?

Is this a business that primarily employs people in the Virgin Islands, or is it one that primarily employs people who recently moved to the territory?

I find that there are different standards that we can determine to decide how we determine what exactly is a Virgin Islands business.

But I believe the designation is important because we recognize minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, small businesses, but being able to know which business is a Virgin Islands business will help us have a stronger understanding of how our contracts are being dispersed and who's benefiting.

And so a quick follow-up to this.

You mentioned there as part of your requirements, probably 10 years as, what is it?

Someone having resided?

What did you mention about 10 years?

I said approximately 10 years could be one consideration for exploration.

For someone- For residency in the territory ... for residency.

So that is one of the things that you're considering as part of that plan.

Mm-hmm.

Senator Bolques, a follow up?

If you could repeat for clarity.

Yes.

So, Ms.

Suar proposed a certificate that could help Virgin Islands owned businesses compete for contracts.

What exactly would make a business locally owned, and how would you prevent an outside company from obtaining a nominal partner or having that preference?

Would you support that?

I support who can do the job best.

Of course, we want Virgin Islanders to be at the upfront and be selected.

But at the same time, we have to make sure, to answer the question that you proposed, if you're asking me what a Virgin Islands business is, it's a business that resides within the territory of the Virgin Islands and meets the requirements through the Department of Licensing, Consumer Affairs, in addition to any bonding requirements or any other procurement requirements that would be considered for the approval of a contract.

And so someone could come to the Virgin Islands and in a year, six months, and set up shop, and you're fine with that?

As long as they reside within the Virgin Islands, yes.

Thank you.

30 seconds.

I'd say who can do the job best is actually quite vague, and one of the reasons having a Virgin Islands business owned designation would be important for the territory is really for championing economic equity and a sense of economic justice.

We know that marginalized companies often face challenges in competition, and we recognize that as a territory of the United States, as a colony, and as a predominantly Black and brown community, that there is a real equity issue that needs to be addressed.

Okay.

Final 30 seconds.

While I hear what the candidate is saying, and I support and always advocate for Virgin Islanders, the Constitution of the United States of America is a very thin line that we have to thread, and we cannot favor any one over another when it comes to that document and trying to select anyone for any specific contract or any other thing for even jobs.

Okay.

Thank you.

We're going to continue.

Mr.

Bolques, if voters were to give you another two years, what is the strongest argument for giving you another term based on your record rather than what you're promising to do next?

I believe I am the hardest working senator in the legislature of the Virgin Islands.

I am always available.

I listen.

I overprepare.

I work hard.

I fill in the gaps where I'm needed.

In addition to that, look at my record.

Look at the pieces of legislation that I've passed with the help of my colleagues.

We just recently talked about $4.2 million additional in government coffers.

We have two other revenue-generating bills.

These are things that we need to do right now because we just approved a $950 million budget, and it was very difficult to do that, ladies and gentlemen.

We have to find ways to generate revenue, but still not hurt the working families of the Virgin Islands, and I'm the senator that's going to do that.

I have been doing that.

Look at the record, and you'll see for yourself.

Thank you.

Ms.

Suar, you're asking voters to replace an incumbent.

What specifically would you do differently with the senator at large seat, and what evidence should voters look at to determine whether you could deliver it?

I would say that when I look at the incumbent's record, I find that many of the bills are reactive and that they don't necessarily reflect a strong vision as well as often, they lack some of the mechanisms that are necessary for enforcement.

When I look at his marine scholarship bill, I find that it's unfunded.

When I look at the agriculture bill, I note that there are $600,000 dedicated for farmers.

However, the eligibility requirements would make them quite challenging for many farmers to benefit from the program.

And I also find that the senator's record as it pertains to Water Island and many of his comments on the horse racing bill, as well as his record and comments on Summer's End, suggest a pro-development stance that doesn't always value keeping public lands for public benefits.

And so I would say in looking at my record, you can look at my relationships in the community as a community advocate around key issues like Whistling Key.

You can also look at my career in the university, and my work as a co-founder of St.

Janco, the St.

John Heritage Collective, a land, rights, and cultural heritage nonprofit.

I have fought fervently for Virgin Islanders during my time in the territory, and I believe that my research also allows for evidence-based decision-making.

Right.

Now we're going to move on to our candidate-to-candidate round, in which you'll each have an opportunity to question the other directly.

You'll have 30 seconds to ask one question, and the other candidate will have one minute to answer.

The same time rules apply, with a bell signaling that time is up.

Ernest and I may step in as needed to keep the exchange on track.

Ms.

Suar, you have the first question for Mr.

Bolques.

My first question is about the marine scholarship fund that you established.

One, the legislature, of course, has had challenges with keeping the bill funded in recent years.

What prevented the legislature from going to marine stakeholders in the territory for a private-public partnership, given that many of the companies in the industry have long done the work of providing scholarships, training, and mentorship?

Okay.

The bill was funded by the legislature of the Virgin Islands.

We do not appropriate the funds.

The Office of Management and Budget does that.

Apparently, there was a shift within leadership, and a number of things fell through the crack.

So when that was not funded, it was no fault of the legislature.

It was no fault of any specific senator in the legislature to include myself.

It has been funded once again in this budget markup.

That is something that I fought adamantly for, and it is funded, and I will make sure and assure to follow suit to make sure that those funds get to all of the students that need to get them.

Because we see the impact.

We've seen about 14 to 15 students apply for that scholarship.

It helps with the blue economy.

A port captain is not a $200,000.

That's substantial funding or a salary for any young Virgin Islander to be able to tap into.

So we really want to encourage a lot of our young people to get into the blue economy or the marine industry.

Thank you.

Any follow ups, Ms.

Suar?

Or you can go ahead.

Can I go to a separate question, or no?

No.

Just, you're good.

Well, so I'm hearing you say that the funding was appropriated recently in this recent legislature markup, and that you have seen 14 to 15 students have benefited, but I don't believe that you have answered the question about the relationship to the existing marine ecosystem in the territory.

So 14 to 15 youths applied.

They haven't benefited.

They applied.

So the impact is there.

As for the marine industry, we've spoken to VIPK and other marine companies that train or empower young people, but we plan to also work very closely with the University of the Virgin Islands.

But again, something happened.

The funding was not sent over to the Board of Education, because that's where the fund is supposed to go, the funds are supposed to go.

So OMB spoke to the director, and we're going to make sure that it happens this time.

And how many students benefited?

Now follow up.

Yes, Mr.

Bolques, your question.

You have a question to Ms.

Suar.

My question to Ms.

Suar is that I'm hearing a lot of things about the things that you've done or say you're going to do, but what tangible evidence or what have you really done, even in the area of land and preservation or anything for that fact, in the Virgin Islands for St.

Croix, St.

Thomas, St.

John, and Water Island?

Tangible things?

One, so the Virgin Islands Studies Collective has launched a series of exhibitions and community engagements.

We have held symposiums.

We have also co-produced knowledge about the history of the Virgin Islands that have been published.

I would say that St.

Janco has had public art projects on the island of St.

John.

We have also participated in preserving and advocating for our history and our culture through archiving the significance of 1733 and other key aspects of our history.

And I would also say, if you're looking at my record broadly, that my relationship to business in not only the marine industry, but in real estate and in transportation, has provided dozens of jobs for people in the Virgin Islands and contributed a great deal to our territory's infrastructure.

Dozens of jobs in what, the Love City car ferry?

Not just Love City car ferries Real estate, transportation, logistics.

Okay.

Well, be specific.

Well, real estate, transportation, logistics includes Love City Car Ferries, Virgin Developers, LID Property Management, and consulting.

And what have you done for the economy?

What have you done for the economy?

You are going... Okay.

Okay, that's it.

That's it.

Thank you very much.

Have a good day.

Candidates, you'll now have 30 seconds each for a closing statement in verbal form.

Mr.

Bolques, we'll begin with you.

I want to thank WTJX and everyone who is here supporting, to all of the panelists as well.

Making sure or researching your candidates is very important, and I'm asking you to look at my record, see the results, see the solutions.

I'm number one on the ballot for Senator at-Large, and I want to continue the work that I've begun.

There is a lot of work to do.

There is so much work to do, and I overprepare, I overwork.

I take this job very, very seriously.

Thank you very much.

Ms.

Suar, your closing statement.

To the people of the Virgin Islands, I would like to thank you for your time.

I, of course, am humbly asking for your vote as a bona fide resident of St.

John who has worked quite hard across my career in order to not only conduct research but also to reduce our cost of living, improve our quality of life in the Virgin Islands.

I intend to continue that work in the legislature of the Virgin Islands, and I believe that everyone in this territory should have the opportunity to live well at home.

And in order to do that, there are key issues that we need to fight for.

All right.

That is all the time we have for our 2026 Senator at-Large debate.

Our sincere thanks to Senator Angel Bolques, Jr., and Hadaya Suar, PhD, for participating, and to all of you for watching.

If you missed any part of this debate, you can catch an encore presentation on Sunday, October 18th at 3:00 PM on WTJX TV channel 12.

The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

Join WTJX that evening at 7:00 PM for Decision 2026 Election Night Live, with up-to-the-minute results and analysis of the major races across the US Virgin Islands.

I'm Marcelina Ventura Douglas.

And I'm Ernest Gilbert.

Thank you for watching.

For watching.