Election officials held Tuesday what candidates might consider their version of the lottery. One caveat, though, nobody won any money.
Called the “casting of lots,” what was at stake instead was the order that candidate names will appear on the Sept 8. primary ballot. For those who selected, or had selected for them, a number ‘1’, that meant they had won the right for their name to appear first in their respective category. They’d be followed by the candidate who selected a number ‘2’, and so on down the line.
“The purpose of casting is to tell you what your ballot position will be,” said Supervisor of Elections John Abramson Jr. “I think it was a pretty easy go today… We’ve got a fairly large number of candidates for the general election so I hope it will go just as smooth.”
With more than 15 candidates present in the St. Thomas elections office, only two candidates came in person to the St. Croix office.
Stacey E. Plaskett was present to draw her number ‘1’ as she tries to unseat Donna M. Christensen as the Democratic delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. Christensen had Sandra Setorie on hand to draw for her.
John Michael Canegata also drew a number ‘1’ for his race in the Republican Party’s state chairman contest. Canegata is also running in the Senate race but automatically qualified for the November ballot.
“You can’t ask for better than number one,” Canegata said.
Concerning the Senate race for St. Croix’s seven legislative seats, nothing was at stake for the primary ballot, meaning everyone who’s running as the Democratic, Republican and Independent Citizen’s Movement Party candidate will appear on the November general election ballot.
Had there been more than seven candidates in any party, then there would have been a primary election to select the seven final candidates. But the Democrats have seven candidates, the ICM five and the Republicans three. So along with any independent candidates that qualify, all will appear on the November ballot.
The seven Democrats on St. Croix running for Senator in November are Kenneth L. “Kenny Gittens, Eugene E. LaCorbiniere, Troy Mason, Diane Capeheart, Neville James, Ronald E. Russell and Sammuel Sanes. The five ICM Party candidates are George Moore, Terrence “Positive” Nelson, Arthur A. Joseph, Naomi Sandra Joseph and Arthur N. Brown Jr. The three Republican candidates running are Wayne “Bully” Petersen, Gwendolyn D. Hall Brady and John Michael Canegata.
For the St. Thomas-St. John district, it’s a different story concerning its Democratic Senatorial candidates. There are 20, and because they appear on the same ballot with Christensen and Plaskett and the four candidates seeking the senator at large seat, their positions start at number ‘7’ and go until ’26.’
Abramson said Thursday would be when St. Thomas’ polling locations were finalized while St. Croix’s four include the Juanita Gardine Educational Complex, Ricardo Richards School, St. Croix Educational Complex and the Alexander Hendersen School.
Deputy Supervisor of Elections James Weber urged anyone on St. Croix with concerns or questions about the upcoming elections to attend Wednesday’s public forum beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Croix Educational Complex Auditorium.
“It’s been a tumultuous year. We’re going to have the paper ballots. We’re going to have an e-Poll book tryout. And because there’s been so many questions to the elections board, that anybody that may have a question about anything, they can ask it at that forum as well,” Weber said.
Results of the Casting of Lots, District of St. Croix, Primary Election of Sept. 8, 2012
This is the order of candidates as it will appear on the various political parties’ primary ballot as provided by the Elections Office.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DELEGATE TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1. Stacey E. Plaskett
2. Donna M. Christensen
OFFICE OF SENATOR AT LARGE
3. Craig W. Barshinger
4. Andrew Rutnik
5. Iris Kern
6. Ronnie E. Jones
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MAN
1. Mark Hodge
2. Emmett Hansen
STATE CHAIR
1. Glen J. Smith
2. Cecil R. Benjamin
3. Marylyn A. Stapeton
DISTRICT CHAIR-ISLAND OF ST. CROIX
1. Nemmy Williams-Jackson
2. Bradford Nugent
3. Sonia L. Boyce
TERRITORIAL COMMITTEE AT LARGE
1. Dwayne A. Benjamin
2. Luis A. Tito Morales
3. Jose L. George
4. Marylyn Stapleton
5. Carol M. Burke
6. Florine Audain Hassell
7. Omar B. U. Henry
8. Nemmy Williams-Jackson
TERRITORIAL COMMITTEE-DISTRICT
1. Shaniece Charlemagne
2. Ronald Moorhead
3. Renee McAlpin-Petersen
4. Sandra L. Setorie
5. Carolyn “Lyn” Burke
6. Aminah Saleem
7. Dean R. Andrews
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DELEGATE TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1. Holland L. Redfield, II
2. Vincent E. Danet
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MAN
1. Holland L. Redfield II
2. Robert “Max” Schanfarber
NATIONAL COMMITTEE WOMAN
1. April Newland
2. Lilliana Belardo de O’neal
STATE CHAIR
1. John Michael Canegata
2. Herbert Schoenbohm
Results of the Casting of Lots, District of St. Thomas-St. John, Primary Election of Sept. 8, 2012
This is the order of candidates as it will appear on the various political parties’ primary ballot as provided by the Elections Office.
INDEPENDENT CITIZENS MOVEMENT PARTY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
TERRITORIAL COMMITTEE, DISTRICT STT-STJ
1. Joseph “WoJo” Gumbs
2. Maria Richardson
3. Kent M. Daniel
4. Ada Hodge
5. Jacquel “Bush Tea” Dawson
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DELEGATE TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1. Holland L. Redfield II
2. Vincent E. Danet
SENATOR AT LARGE – ST. THOMAS-ST. JOHN DISTRICT
1. Orial Tommy Webb
2. Jodi Hodge
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MAN
1. Holland L. Redfield II
2. Robert “Max” Schanfarber
NATIONAL COMMITTEE WOMAN
1. April Newland
2. Lilliana Belardo de O’neal
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DELEGATE TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1. Stacey E. Plaskett
2. Donna M. Christensen
OFFICE OF SENATOR AT LARGE – ST. THOMAS-ST. JOHN DISTRICT
3. Craig W. Barshinger
4. Andrew Rutnik
5. Iris Kern
6. Ronnie E. Jones
OFFICE OF SENATE – ST.THOMAS-ST.JOHN DISTRICT
7. Justin Harrigan Sr.
8. Christina “Realist” Lee
9. Matthew Hodge
10. Luis A. Tito Morales
11. Claudette Georges
12. Moses Carty
13. Sean P. Magras
14. Clarence Payne
15. Shawn Michael Malone
16. Franke A. Hoheb
17. Stedmann Hodge Jr.
18. Janette Millin Young
19. Patrick Simeon Sprauve
20. B. Gregory Miller
21. Myron D. Jackson
22. Donald “Ducks” Cole
23. Riise E. Smith-Richards
24. Jean Anthony Forde
25. Gilmore “Big Daddy” Estrill
26. Clifford Graham
BOARD OF ELECTIONS – ST. THOMAS-ST. JOHN DISTRICT
1. Lucien A. Moolenaar II
2. Edwardo Carmona Sr.
3. Yvonne Solomon Freeman
4. Arturo Watlington Jr.
5. Russell Williams
NATIONAL COMMITTEE MAN
1. Mark Hodge
2. Emmett Hansen
STATE CHAIR
1. Glen J. Smith
2. Cecil R. Benjamin
3. Marylyn A. Stapeton
DISTRICT CHAIR-ISLAND OF ST. THOMAS
1. Edgar “Baker” Phillips
2. Vincent A. Rivera Sr.
TERRITORIAL COMMITTEE AT LARGE
1. Dwayne A. Benjamin
2. Luis A. Tito Morales
3. Jose L. George
4. Marylyn Stapleton
5. Carol M. Burke
6. Florine Audain Hassell
7. Omar B. U. Henry
8. Nemmy Williams-Jackson
TERRITORIAL COMMITTEE, DISTRICT
1. Arah C. Lockhart
2. Mark Hodge
3. Jason Budsan
4. Riise E. Smith-Richards
5. Angel Turnbull
6. Marc L. Stridiron
7. Hector A. Squiabro
8. Cedrick Lewis
9. Dwayne A. Benjamin.
