Feb. 9, 2008 -- Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama won big in the Virgin Islands Saturday, clinching six delegate seats for three votes at the Democratic National Convention late this summer. Turnout was very heavy Saturday morning at Gertrude's Restaurant on St. Croix for the Virgin Islands Democratic Party presidential caucus.
From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. the candidates got to speak with party members. Then at 11 a.m. when the polls opened, a long line immediately formed, stretching from the back patio out and around to the front of the building. Over 130 voted in the first hour, and by the time the poll closed at 7 p.m. a record 746 votes had been cast.
Delegate Donna Christensen was on hand while the delegate hopefuls spoke and after voting herself, stayed around for the first hour or so of balloting.
"Obama is sure to overwhelmingly take the Virgin Islands," Christensen said presciently as the voting began. As a Clinton supporter, she said, "The support Hillary has given us during the time she's been in the Senate, to me that should count for something.
"There is a lot of excitement with this bright young new kid who happens to be black. But his experience does not add up. And with our experience here in the Virgin Islands with both candidates, there is no comparison between them."

Indeed, the Illinois senator was a heavy favorite in the territory, though some Clinton signs were visible outside of Gertrude's Saturday too. Of 20 candidates for delegate to this fall's Democratic National Convention in Denver, 18 are running as Obama delegates and the other two as "uncommitted." So to vote for Hillary Clinton, party members have to write in a delegate name. Addressing this, Christensen and other Clinton supporters had a list of three individuals suggested as write-in candidates for Clinton: Joe Olmeda, Claire Roker and Carolyn M. Burke. But in the end it was Obama's day.
"In my opinion, Obama has become the rallying point for all Democrats," said Chasen Richards of St. Croix. Richards did not vote Saturday, given that he is all of 12 years old. He was at Gertrude's to support Shawna Richards, his mother, who is a candidate to be an Obama delegate.
"It's usually like 300 for the caucus," said Burke, V.I. Democratic Party national committeewoman. "I've never seen anything like this. It's because of Obama. Obama has mobilized the youth vote nationally. They were disenchanted and discouraged unto Obama came along."
Burke said both Democratic candidates have much to offer.
"Hillary is excellent too. … The bottom line for me is a strong, viable candidate so another Bush Republican is not elected in November. Democrats here and nationally are going to be united in support of the party's candidate."
Others concurred.
"It's been spectacular, the consciousness the people of the Virgin Islands have shown in this race," said Raymond Williams, who helped organize the caucus on St. Croix. "Having two such dynamic candidates in the race has raised that level of awareness."
The territory will have nine votes at the convention. Voters at Saturday's caucus will select six delegates. St. Croix voters will vote for two women and one man. St. Thomas and St. John voters will select two men and one woman. These six delegates will cast half a vote each for three of the V.I. votes.
The remaining six votes go to superdelegates, who are automatically delegates by virtue of their position in the party. They are Gov. John deJongh Jr., who has endorsed Obama; Delegate Donna M. Christensen, who has endorsed Clinton and is a member of Clinton's health-care team; State Party Chairman Cecil Benjamin; Vice Chairwoman Marylyn Stapleton; Burke; and National Committeeman Kevin Rodriquez.
As of 11 p.m. Saturday night, the totals for each presidential candidate were tallied, and it was clear Robert Rios would be the male St. Croix delegate, but final results for the remaining at-large delegates were not yet complete.
The national convention is scheduled for Aug. 25-28 in Denver, Col.
2008 V.I. Democratic Party Presidential Caucus Unofficial Results
Territory
- Barack Obama: 1772 votes, 89.9 percent of votes cast;
- Hillary Clinton: 149 votes, 7.6 percent of votes cast;
- Other and Uncommitted: 49, or 2.5 percent of votes cast.
St. Croix
- Barack Obama: 628 votes, 84 percent of St. Croix votes cast;
- Hillary Clinton: 72 votes, 9.7 percent of St. Croix votes cast;
- Other and Uncommitted: 46, or 6.3 percent of St. Croix votes cast.
St. Thomas
- Barack Obama: 1144 votes, 93.5 percent of St. Thomas votes cast;
- Hillary Clinton: 77 votes, 6.3 percent of St. Thomas votes cast;
- Other and uncommitted: 3 votes, 0.2 percent of St. Thomas votes cast.
Results are unofficial. There are still provisional ballots to count, which while not enough to change the outcome, may change the figures of the final tally. As of 11 p.m. Saturday, which Obama delegates will be going to the National Convention was still being determined.
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