Voters across the territory will take to the polls on Saturday to determine the Democratic Party candidates for delegate to Congress, governor and lieutenant governor, seven Senate seats in the St. Croix district, and seven Senate seats in the St. Thomas/St. John district in the territory’s primary election.
This week marked the final push for those candidates to entice registered Democrats to pull their tab when voters get behind the curtain in the polling booths from Frederiksted to Cruz Bay. The week is what candidate for governor Moleto Smith called "no sleep week."
"We are connecting with all of our constituents and all of our support base," said Smith, who is running with lieutenant governor candidate Hubert Frederick. "We are reaching out to everyone again and we are preparing for election day, which takes a lot of coordination with poll watchers and poll workers and getting various constituents to the polls."
During this week, Smith said his camp is doing its best to keep the energy level high.
Also running for governor, Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg said his team has been focusing this week on empowering voters.
"We have been focused on ensuring that voters recognize that they are the ones who actually have the power to decide our future," said Donastorg, who is running with lieutenant governor candidate Angel Torres.
"We need all Virgin Islanders to come out to vote in unprecedented proportions on Aug. 2 and make sure that our voices are heard," Donastorg said.
Also running for the Democratic governor and lieutenant governor seats are Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen and Basil Ottley, who have been busy this week meeting with their teams on all three islands.
Christensen said, "We had our meeting on St. John on Monday and on St. Thomas last night and today we’re having our general meeting. In the next few days we will just continue to do our best canvassing in places that we have not yet gotten to."
Christensen said she and running mate Ottley will spend much of Friday on the radio.
"We’ll spend a fair amount of time on the radio tomorrow between St. Thomas and St. Croix," said Christensen Thursday.
The Christensen/Ottley campaign has also been busy this week training poll workers in the final days before the primary election.
Ottley said, "We are out there trying to rally folks and keep them tuned in that Saturday is election day and we want them to come out and vote. On election day, we’ll have folks out there at the polls and we are getting people trained for what they need to bring and what they can expect."
Christensen said the team will crisscross all three islands on Saturday, trying to make appearances at every polling station in the territory.
"We will start on St. John in the morning as the polls open, as I always do," said Christensen. "Then we’ll go to St. Thomas and visit the polls and then, weather permitting, we’ll go to St. Croix around 1 p.m. to visit polls there. Then, weather permitting, we’ll go back to St. Thomas to our headquarters and begin to listen to the results coming in. After that, we’ll head back to St. Croix."
With the territory bracing for significant rainfall on Saturday, the Christensen/Ottley team is prepared to offer transportation for voters; something Christensen said her team does no matter the weather.
"We always plan on providing transportation to the polls and the Democratic Party in the district is providing transportation as well," said Christensen. "We’ve always prepared for that. With the rain that could be present we are hoping to still get people out to the polls."
Running mates Gerard Luz James and Winston Brathwaite, Marvin Pickering and Calford Martin, and Lt. Gov. Gregory Francis and Patrick Simeon Sprauve are also vying to be the Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Saturday’s primary election.
Three candidates are seeking the Democratic ticket for delegate to Congress; Stacey Plaskett, Shawn-Michael Malone and Emmett Hansen II. In addition to the delegate to Congress, governor and lieutenant governor slots, voters will also cast their ballots Saturday for district senators, Board of Elections and Democratic Party state chairman.
St. Croix district Democratic Senate candidates are Neville James, Kenneth Gittens, Diane Capehart, Novelle Francis Jr., Collin Hodge, Malcolm McGregor, George Moore, Carol Burke, Paul Arnold Jr., Omar Henry, Eugene La Corbiniere, Sammuel Sanes, Kurt Vialet and Troy Mason. Voters will choose seven of those 14 candidates to move on to the General Election in November.
Former V.I. Police Department Commissioner Novelle Francis said his team has been busy canvassing St. Croix as well as staying active on social media in these final days before the vote.
"We are mobilizing our staff and we’ve been pushing our social media," said Francis. "We continue to push our public campaign efforts and we continue to canvas the community as much as we can. We’ve also been on the airwaves."
On election day, the Francis team will be visiting polls across St. Croix, said the candidate.
"On election day, we’re going to start off at Alexander Henderson School and visit the pools there and then make our way to Christiansted," Francis said. "We’re opening a small headquarters on Friday by Mountain Gas Station and we’ll assemble there to hear the results on Saturday night."
Former Sen. Carol Burke said she’ll continue meeting face to face with voters in the final push before election day.
"I’m all over the place," said Burke. "For the most part, my campaign has not been one with a lot of signs and a lot of events. I’ve been meeting with voters one to one and having meaningful discussions of the issues. I’ve been doing a lot of consoling and a lot of encouraging people to get to the polls and vote."
Burke said she will not be slowing down until the polls are closed on Saturday.
"I’ll be all over on Saturday from the east end polls to the west end polls," Burke said. "And I’ll be on my phone too. I’ll be doing everything I can to get people to come out and vote. Even if it rains, that shouldn’t stop people from exercising their right to vote."
St. Croix voters will also elect three of the four candidates running for district Board of Elections seats between Rupert Ross Jr., Raymond Williams, Beverly Joseph and Barbara Jackson McIntosh.
St. Thomas/St. John district Democratic Senate candidates are Jean Forde, Julia Simon, Marvin Blyden, Clarence Payne, Myron Jackson, Donald Cole, Janette Millin Young, Clifford Graham, Sean Georges, Justin Harrigan and B. Gregory Miller. Voters will elect seven of those 11 candidates to move on to the General Election on Nov. 4.
Political newcomer Sean Georges said he is trying everything he can to raise awareness about his campaign.
"As a new aspirant, we are trying to be as visible as possible and raise awareness about my campaign," Georges said. "My campaign is mobile and right now we’re at Gomez School. We were at Mandela Circle yesterday and we’re going to be over at Four Corners tomorrow to hand out platform there. On election day, we’ll be over near the old IRB building by Pueblo in town. I grew up in Pearson Gardens, so we’ll be close to home for me."
Fellow first-time candidate B. Greg Miller said he will spend Saturday outside of the Julius E. Sprauve School polling station on St. John.
Miller said, "I’m going to spend Saturday on St. John in front of Julius E. Sprauve School campaigning with candy kisses for anyone who votes for me."
Voters in the St. Thomas/St. John district will also choose two of the three candidates running for District Board of Elections seats between Edwardo Carmona, Murice Donovan Jr. and Carla Joseph.
Voters in both districts will choose one of the four candidates running for the Democratic Party state chairman position between Cecil Benjamin, Kevin Rodriguez, Aminah Saleem and Luis Morales.
Registered Republican Party voters in the St. Croix district will vote for Territorial Committee District members Humberto O’Neal, Ava-Gail Jagroop, Pattie Bland, James Bland Jr. and Warren Cole. There are six seats on this committee with five candidates running. There are no candidates for the Republican Territorial Committee for the St. Thomas/St. John district on Saturday’s ballot, according to the V.I. Elections System website, www.vivote.
Republican voters across the territory can also vote for the sole candidate for the Republican Territorial Committee At-Large, April Newland.
Registered Independent Citizens Movement Party voters can vote for Territorial Committee St. Thomas/St. John district candidates Kent Daniel and Ada Hodge.
Polls for the primary election will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The only polling station on St. John will be at Julius E. Sprauve School.
On St. Thomas polling stations are located at Addelita Cancryn Junior High School, Gladys Abraham Elementary School, Charlotte Amalie High School and Tutu Park Mall.
On St. Croix polling stations will be located at Juanita Gardine Elementary School, Ricardo Richards Elementary School, St. Croix Educational Complex, Alexander Henderson Elementary School and Pearl B. Larsen Elementary School.
Read more V.I. Source elections coverage at https://stthomassource.com/story/News,Elections+2014.
