Lawmakers failed to agree Friday on forcing the Republican Party chair to testify before them, as a motion to subpoena the party’s leader fell short during a contentious committee hearing.
Meeting at the Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection, senators debated a motion by Sen. Carla J. Joseph to subpoena Republican Party Chairman John Yob. Joseph sought to compel Yob to appear before the committee to explain the party’s plans for selecting delegates and candidates ahead of the next election cycle.
After debate, the motion failed to receive enough votes, so no subpoena was issued.
Joseph said she was “very disappointed” by the outcome, arguing that the public deserves to hear directly from all political parties recognized by the election system.
Sen. Ray Fonseca said the Republican chair “has consistently failed to appear before this committee,” adding, “I still want to know what the Republican Party is doing.”
Opponents warned that compelling testimony from a party leader would overstep constitutional boundaries. Sen. Alma Francis Heiliger said political parties are private organizations whose internal functions are protected from government interference.
“We cannot be willy-nilly subpoenaing people just because it says we can,” she said, citing a recent federal court ruling that struck down parts of Virgin Islands election law as unconstitutional.
Legislative legal counsel told senators the Legislature has broad subpoena authority under its rules and the Virgin Islands Code when acting within its jurisdiction and for a proper legislative purpose. Even so, several lawmakers said that authority does not extend to forcing political parties to explain their internal operations.
Beyond the subpoena debate, lawmakers received briefings on preparations for the 2026 elections and the Democratic Party’s certification plan. Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol M. Burke presented a formal plan designed to comply with a 2024 federal ruling that candidate certification is an internal party function protected by the First Amendment. The party updated its bylaws to ensure that standards and procedures are transparent, enforceable, and legally sound.
Under the plan, the Democratic Party sets its own criteria for who may run in the party’s primary. Requirements include dues-paying “good standing,” registration in the party for at least six months, and compliance with transparency and dispute-resolution rules. The party will issue candidate packets and determine who may appear on the Democratic primary ballot.
Government election officials remain responsible for legal eligibility, ballot preparation, polling place operations, and vote tabulation. Supervisor of Elections Caroline Fawkes and Board of Elections Chairman Raymond J. Williams said coordination between the party and election system is necessary to avoid confusion and ensure fair elections.
Fawkes also highlighted funding and staffing challenges. The $275,000 appropriated under Act 9035 for the 2026 general election is insufficient and expires Sept. 30, before the November election. She requested an additional $175,000, noting that large elections require about 100 poll workers per district. Fawkes emphasized accessibility for disabled and visually impaired voters, including assisted voting under affidavit and the use of ExpressVote machines with alternative inputs and Braille.
Burke and Fawkes said they plan meetings to align timelines, clarify roles and prevent conflicts between party certification and statutory election administration ahead of the 2026 elections.
