VIIQ · 2026 Elections
St. Croix & the 2026 Election
Why St. Croix shapes every USVI governor's race
St. Croix is the largest island in the U.S. Virgin Islands — and politically, it is the swing district that decides who governs the territory. It has its own economy, its own history, and issues that don't move the same way they do on St. Thomas. Here's everything a voter needs to understand about St. Croix's role in 2026.
Electoral weight
10,479
Registered Democrats
The only voters who decide the August 1 primary on St. Croix
7
Senate seats
Of 15 total Legislature seats — equal representation to St. Thomas/St. John
~40%
Of registered voters
St. Croix accounts for roughly 40% of the territory's active electorate
2018
Last governor decided by runoff
Bryan/Roach won by ~2,000 votes territory-wide — St. Croix margins were decisive
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The Electoral Math
How St. Croix decides USVI governor races
USVI governor races are won territory-wide — there is no Electoral College, no per-island allocation. But because votes are cast across two main districts, a candidate who dominates St. Croix can overcome a St. Thomas deficit and win outright. A candidate who loses St. Croix badly almost always loses the territory.
In 2018, Albert Bryan and Tregenza Roach won the governor's runoff by just 2,030 votes territory-wide (11,796 to 9,766). That margin was built largely on St. Croix, where Bryan ran up the score. The lesson of modern USVI politics: you win St. Croix, you win the territory.
In 2026, three of the key figures in the governor's race have direct St. Croix ties — Stacey Plaskett (born and raised), Novelle Francis Jr. (St. Croix senator, Roach's running mate), and Rodney Moorehead (St. Croix school principal, Frett-Gregory's running mate). How each ticket performs on St. Croix will likely determine who wins the primary.
VIIQ
St. Croix-Specific Issues in 2026
What Crucians are watching that the rest of the territory isn't
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The Refinery Question
HOVENSA / Limetree Bay / South Shore
The HOVENSA/Limetree Bay refinery once employed 2,000 workers and represented 15% of the entire USVI's $4 billion GDP. When it closed in 2012, St. Croix lost over 2,000 jobs almost overnight. The economic vacuum left by the closure — business closures, population decline, stagnant wages — has never fully healed.
After a brief, damaging restart in 2021 that ended with oil raining down on St. Croix neighborhoods and an EPA emergency shutdown order, the future of the 1,800-acre refinery site is now the defining economic question for St. Croix voters. Reopen it? Convert it? Develop the South Shore as an alternative economic driver?
What 2026 candidates said at the debate
Roach: Open to reopening the refinery if environmental concerns are addressed. Also proposed South Shore development and cannabis as new revenue sources. · Plaskett: Pointed to $4.7B in already-secured federal funding as the path forward, without specifying the refinery site. · Frett-Gregory: Focused on workforce development and ensuring local hiring requirements in any large-scale project.
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JFL Hospital Rebuild
8 years and counting
The Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix was damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Eight years later, it has not been rebuilt. For St. Croix residents, the JFL rebuild is not an abstract policy question — it is a matter of whether the island has a functioning hospital.
What 2026 candidates said at the debate
Frett-Gregory: "We cannot continue to have JFL hospital not rebuilt. It's been eight years and that hospital hasn't been rebuilt. We have to rebuild our hospitals and our clinics now." · Plaskett: Proposed two nationally accredited hospitals within six years (campaign launch). · Roach: No specific JFL quote captured in debate coverage.
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Jobs, Wages & EDC Reform
Resident employment vs. imported labor
A February 2026 poll of USVI voters found economy and jobs ranked as the territory's top concern at 17.8%. Wages on St. Croix have stagnated while the cost of living has risen. A major debate in the 2026 race is whether EDC (Economic Development Commission) tax incentive programs — designed to attract businesses — actually benefit Crucian residents or simply import workers from elsewhere.
What 2026 candidates said at the debate
Roach: "EDC rules allow companies to hire workers from elsewhere and count them as V.I. residents after one year — that does not grow resident employment. That is a thing that I would change." · Frett-Gregory: Called for a transparency dashboard showing what the territory is getting from EDC companies, and invoked $57M in unused SBDC small business funds.
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Environmental Justice
~20,000 residents living downwind of the refinery site
Approximately 20,000 St. Croix residents live downwind of the former Limetree Bay refinery. In 2021, oil rained down on neighborhoods including Clifton Hill and Enfield Green, contaminating at least 63 cisterns. The communities most affected were predominantly low-income Black and Brown neighborhoods. The refinery's future — reopen, convert, or remediate — is an environmental justice question, not just an economic one. Any 2026 candidate serious about St. Croix must have a position on the site and on community remediation.
🌀
Hurricane Recovery — Still Unfinished
Irma & Maria · 2017 · $4.7B secured · billions unspent
Seven years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, St. Croix residents still see delayed construction projects, unfinished schools, and unspent federal recovery dollars. The USVI has secured billions in federal funding but execution has lagged. At the June 2026 debate, Frett-Gregory directly challenged the framing that federal money secured equals progress delivered: "Federal dollars mean little without proper local planning." For St. Croix voters watching JFL sit unbuilt and projects stall, this is not an abstraction.
VIIQ
Where the Candidates Stand — St. Croix Issues
Sourced from the AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026 · Democrats only
Plaskett / Potter
Democrat
Frett-Gregory / Moorehead
Democrat
🏭 Refinery / South Shore
HOVENSA / Limetree
Focused on $4.7B
Emphasized federal dollars already secured. Did not directly address reopening the refinery or South Shore development.
Open to reopening
Said refining should be considered if environmental concerns are addressed. Also named South Shore development and cannabis as new revenue sources.
Workforce first
Focused on workforce development and local hiring requirements for any large-scale project. No direct refinery position stated at the debate.
🏥 JFL Hospital
8 years unbuilt
No debate statement
No specific JFL statement captured at the June 26 debate. Campaign launch referenced two nationally accredited hospitals within six years.
No debate statement
No specific JFL statement captured at the June 26 debate.
Most vocal
"It's been 8 years and that hospital hasn't been rebuilt. We have to rebuild our hospitals and our clinics now." — Closing statement, June 26.
💼 Jobs & EDC
Resident employment
Dashboard + loans
Agreed on a public EDC compliance dashboard. Proposed expanding the government development bank so EDC companies can make loans to small businesses.
Change residency rules
Would change EDC rules to stop counting off-island workers as residents after one year. "That does not grow resident employment."
Dashboard + SBDC
Proposed a forward-facing EDC compliance dashboard. Called out $57M in SBDC small business funds sitting unused and unadvertised.
🌿 Environmental Justice
~20K residents downwind
Not addressed
No statement on environmental remediation or community impacts from the refinery site captured at the June 26 debate.
Conditional
Said environmental concerns must be addressed before refining is considered again — implying remediation is a prerequisite, not an afterthought.
Not addressed
No statement on environmental remediation captured at the June 26 debate.
🌀 Federal Recovery
$24B · Still unspent
Credit for $24B
Claims she unlocked $24B in federal infrastructure funding. Self-acknowledged: "resources and funding do not necessarily mean action on the ground."
Mold / buildings focus
Focused on mold in post-hurricane government buildings as an immediate recovery priority. Called for comprehensive approach covering both public facilities and private homes.
Challenged credit claim
"Federal dollars mean little without proper local planning." Directly challenged Plaskett's $24B credit claim, naming the governor and former governor Mapp as co-authors.
About this table: Positions are drawn exclusively from the AFL-CIO Gubernatorial Forum, June 26, 2026 — the only Democratic debate held to date. "Not addressed" means no statement on that issue was captured in available debate coverage (St. John Source, St. Thomas Source, VI Daily News). This will be updated as additional debates and campaign statements are recorded. VIIQ does not attribute positions candidates have not publicly stated.
VIIQ
What They Said in the Debate — About St. Croix
AFL-CIO Gubernatorial Forum · June 26, 2026
🏭
The Refinery & South Shore Development
Roach
"I believe if those environmental concerns are addressed, refining should be considered again because it generates high-paying jobs particularly in the district of St. Croix. I also believe there is a great opportunity to create new revenues through the South Shore development on the island of St. Croix."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026 · Question: what non-tourism industries will you recruit?
Plaskett
"Until WAPA is regenerated with the $4.7 billion that I was able to receive for the Virgin Islands, how are you going to attract a private sector company to come in and do a generation program?"
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
🏥
JFL Hospital & Healthcare
Frett-Gregory
"We cannot continue to have JFL hospital not rebuilt. It's been eight years and that hospital hasn't been rebuilt. We have to rebuild our hospitals and our clinics in the U.S. Virgin Islands now."
Closing statement · AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
Frett-Gregory
"We are a universal health care territory and we provide subsidies to our government workers. I strongly believe that we need to identify the necessary revenues to do likewise for our non-government employees. It's time for us to look for subsidies for non-government employees here in this territory."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026 · Single-payer healthcare question
Plaskett
"Increasing the amount that we get from Medicaid from the federal government has meant that 20,000 more Virgin Islanders receive healthcare."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026 · Single-payer healthcare question
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Jobs, EDC & Resident Employment
Roach
"EDC rules that allow companies to hire workers from elsewhere and count them as V.I. residents after one year — that does not grow resident employment. That is a thing that I would change."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
Frett-Gregory
"The SBDC program has 57 plus million dollars for small businesses in this territory. And I have not heard one word, one advertisement from this administration as it relates to what we can do for small businesses and where they can go to support."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
Roach
"One of the sources of new income will be cannabis — medicinal especially, and recreational."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026 · Economic diversification question
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Federal Recovery & Who Gets the Credit
Plaskett
"I ensured that there were changes in law that unlocked the $24 billion that we now have for infrastructure — but resources and funding do not necessarily mean action on the ground."
Opening statement · AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
Frett-Gregory
"I am confused with the comments of the delegate as it relates to the federal funding that she's claiming she got for the people of the Virgin Islands. That work was done with our lobbyists, with the governor of the Virgin Islands, and the former governor Mapp. We have to give credit where credit is in fact due."
Redirect · AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
Frett-Gregory
"Federal dollars mean little without proper local planning. Many projects remain delayed."
AFL-CIO debate · June 26, 2026
VIIQ
2026 Poll: Candidate Support by Island
Rattan Polling Service · Feb–Mar 2026 · n=500 · ±4.4%
The February 2026 poll broke down candidate support by island — revealing which candidates are running strong on St. Croix and which are relying almost entirely on St. Thomas. This is the closest thing available to a district-by-district view of the race before the August 1 primary.
Plaskett — 18.8% overall
St. Croix support50%
St. Thomas support50%
Most evenly distributed — strong on both islands
Roach — 9.4% overall
St. Croix support40%
St. Thomas support60%
St. Thomas-heavy — Francis as running mate is a St. Croix play
Frett-Gregory — 8.0% overall
St. Croix support30%
St. Thomas support70%
Most St. Thomas-dependent — Moorehead as St. Croix running mate is critical
The St. Croix math in plain terms: As of February 2026, Plaskett was the only candidate with balanced island support. Both Roach and Frett-Gregory were significantly underperforming on St. Croix relative to St. Thomas — which is exactly why both tickets made St. Croix running mate choices. Note: This poll predates all three candidates' formal announcements and the June 26 debate, so support will have shifted.
VIIQ
St. Croix Senate Candidates — 2026
7 seats · Primary Aug 1 (D) · General Nov 3 · Source: VI Consortium / Elections System
St. Croix elects 7 of 15 USVI senators. All 7 seats are up every two years. The governor's race gets the headlines but the Senate race shapes how the territory governs — budgets, legislation, and oversight all run through these seats. The following candidates filed nomination papers for the St. Croix district as of the May 19, 2026 unofficial list.
Democrat
Clifford A. Joseph
Incumbent · Top vote-getter 2024 (3,771 votes)
Hubert L. Frederick
Incumbent · 2024 (3,201 votes)
Independent
Franklin Johnson
Incumbent · 2024 (3,280 votes)
Samuel Carrion
Former senator · Lost seat 2024 · Running as Independent
Note: This list reflects unofficial filings as of May 19, 2026. Certified candidates were confirmed by the Supervisor of Elections by June 2, 2026. Current St. Croix senators Novelle E. Francis Jr. and Marise C. James are not running for re-election to the Senate — Francis is running for Lt. Governor, James's status is pending review. The top 7 vote-getters in the general election win seats.
VIIQ
What USVI Voters Prioritize in 2026
Source: Rattan Polling Service · February–March 2026 · n=500
The sample skewed 60% St. Croix / 38% St. Thomas / 2% St. John — meaning this poll effectively captures St. Croix voter priorities more than any other source available.
Healthcare & Hospital Care
16.4%
Roads & Infrastructure
9.8%
Crime & Public Safety
9.8%
Restart the Oil Refinery
8.0%
VIIQ
2026 Candidates with St. Croix Ties
Who was born there, who represents it, who is running on it
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St. Croix Voter Turnout
2024 General Election · Source: Elections System of the Virgin Islands
15,564
Active registered voters
St. Croix · 2024 General
8,475
Votes cast
2024 General Election
54%
Overall turnout
St. Croix · 2024 General
Turnout by age — 2024 General Election
Ages 18–24
23% 184 of 804 registered
Ages 25–44
43% 1,285 of 2,963 registered
Ages 45–65
61% 3,810 of 6,280 registered
Ages 65+
58% 3,196 of 5,517 registered
Turnout by gender — 2024 General Election
57%
Women
5,323 of 9,352 registered
51%
Men
3,152 of 6,212 registered
Turnout by party — 2024 General Election
Democrat
58% 6,079 of 10,479 registered
Republican
46% 297 of 642 registered
Other / Independent
46% 1,850 of 4,017 registered
What this means for 2026
The biggest untapped pool of votes on St. Croix is young voters aged 18–24 — only 1 in 4 voted in 2024 despite being registered. Voters 45 and older are the most reliable bloc, making up the majority of actual ballots cast. Women turn out at higher rates than men. Any 2026 candidate who can activate young St. Croix voters alongside the reliable 45+ base would have a significant advantage in the primary.
Are you registered to vote on St. Croix?
The general election registration deadline is October 4, 2026. Check your status or register now.
St. Croix Voting Centers — 2026
David Canegata Recreation Center
Christiansted
Arthur A. Richards K-8 School
Modular Cafeteria
St. Croix Central High School
Gymnasium
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St. Croix Turnout by Precinct
2024 General Election · Source: Elections System of the Virgin Islands
St. Croix has 10 active voting precincts, each named after a notable Virgin Islander. The range between highest and lowest turnout precincts is 11 percentage points — showing where voter engagement is strongest and where the biggest opportunities for mobilization exist heading into 2026.
Precinct 4 — Corrine Plaskett
60% 856 / 1,429
Precinct 13 — Usie R. Richards
59% 923 / 1,562
Precinct 3 — Dodson K. James
56% 1,034 / 1,843
Precinct 6 — Carmen M. Golden
56% 1,034 / 1,863
Precinct 8 — Malcolm Plaskett
55% 758 / 1,374
Precinct 10 — John Abramson Jr.
54% 807 / 1,493
Precinct 12 — Adelbert M. Bryan
52% 630 / 1,215
Precinct 9 — Evelyn Messer James
51% 1,097 / 2,133
Precinct 15 — Rupert W. Ross Jr.
51% 802 / 1,567
Precinct 14 — Eulalie R. Rivera
49% 533 / 1,083
Precinct 9 (Evelyn Messer James) has the most registered voters on St. Croix at 2,133 — but only 51% turned out in 2024. It's the single largest pool of potentially untapped votes on the island. Precinct 14 (Eulalie R. Rivera) had the lowest turnout at 49% despite 1,083 registered voters. Both represent significant mobilization opportunities for any 2026 campaign.
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Voting from Off-Island — St. Croix Diaspora
For St. Croix voters living off-island in 2026
A significant number of Crucians live off-island — on St. Thomas, the U.S. mainland, or abroad — but remain registered voters in the St. Croix district. If you are registered to vote on St. Croix, you can still vote in every 2026 USVI election by absentee ballot. Here's how.
📋
Step 1 — Confirm you're registered
Check your registration status at vivote.gov. Make sure your St. Croix address is current and your party enrollment is correct.
Check registration →
📬
Step 2 — Request an absentee ballot
Contact the St. Croix Elections System office to request a mail-out absentee ballot. You qualify if you're absent from your district on election day.
(340) 773-1021 · Sunny Isle Shopping Center, Unit 26
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Step 3 — Return your ballot
Mail your completed ballot back or submit by email. Email submission must arrive by 5 p.m. on election day. Allow plenty of time for mail.
Absentee ballot deadlines — 2026
Primary — August 1
Jul 18 — Last day to request mail-out ballot
Aug 1 · 5 p.m. — Email ballot deadline
General — November 3
Oct 20 — Last day to request mail-out ballot
Nov 3 · 5 p.m. — Email ballot deadline
Who qualifies for absentee voting
→Absent from your district on election day
→Students residing outside the territory
→Military members and their dependents
→Government employees working off-island
→Illness or physical disability
→Patient in hospital or nursing home
VIIQ
Historic Voting & Political Leaders
St. Croix's role in territory-wide elections since 1970
1970
First elected governor: Melvin Evans (R) became the first elected Governor of the USVI under the new Elective Governor Act. St. Croix votes counted equally in the territory's first popular election for governor.
1970s–80s
HOVENSA era begins: The Hess Oil refinery (later HOVENSA) opened in 1966 and expanded through the 1970s, becoming one of the 10 largest refineries in the world at 650,000 barrels per day. St. Croix's economy and political priorities were shaped for decades by this single employer.
1994
Roy Schneider (R) wins: Defeated incumbent Democrat Alexander Farrelly in one of the territory's most contested governor races, with St. Croix as the battleground district.
2012
HOVENSA closes: In January 2012, HOVENSA announced the permanent closure of the refinery. More than 2,000 workers lost their jobs almost overnight. The closure triggered business closures, population decline, and a deep economic crisis concentrated on St. Croix — reshaping the island's political priorities for years.
2017
Hurricanes Irma and Maria: Both storms hit the USVI in September 2017. St. Croix was devastated by Hurricane Maria. The disaster became a defining political issue — federal recovery dollars, delayed rebuilding projects, JFL hospital reconstruction, and contractor accountability all became central to St. Croix voters' concerns in subsequent elections.
2018
Bryan/Roach wins runoff: Albert Bryan Jr. and Tregenza Roach defeated incumbent Kenneth Mapp 11,796 to 9,766 in the runoff — a margin of just 2,030 votes territory-wide. Bryan's strength on St. Croix, his home district, was decisive. Donna Frett-Gregory was also elected to the Legislature for the first time this year, topping the St. Thomas-St. John district.
2021
Limetree Bay reopens — then shuts again: The refinery briefly restarted in early 2021 under new ownership. By May 2021 it had caused multiple environmental incidents — oil raining down on St. Croix neighborhoods, sulfur dioxide leaks — and was shut down by EPA emergency order. Approximately 20,000 St. Croix residents live downwind of the facility.
2022
Bryan re-elected: Incumbent Governor Albert Bryan Jr. won a second term with 56% of the general election vote, running against Independent Kurt Vialet (a St. Croix senator) and others. Vialet's strong St. Croix base made him competitive but not enough to unseat Bryan territory-wide. Kurt Vialet has since filed to run for governor in 2026 but ultimately was not on the certified ticket.
VIIQ
Past Governor Race Results
Territory-wide totals · 2018 & 2022 · Source: Elections System of the USVI
2018 Runoff — November 20
Bryan / Roach (D)
11,796 · 54.7%
Mapp / Potter (I)
9,766 · 45.3%
Margin of victory: 2,030 votes
St. Croix was decisive — Bryan's home district.
2022 General — November 8
Bryan / Roach (D)
12,157 · 56.1%
Vialet / Sarauw (I)
8,244 · 38.1%
Vialet ran as St. Croix senator — his St. Croix base gave him 38% territory-wide but not enough to unseat an incumbent.
What the numbers tell us about 2026
In both 2018 and 2022, the winning candidate built their margin on St. Croix strength. In 2022, St. Croix senator Kurt Vialet — running as an independent — still pulled 38% of territory-wide votes almost entirely from his home island base. In 2026, the three Democratic candidates all have calculated St. Croix running mates or roots (Plaskett born there, Francis a St. Croix senator, Moorehead a St. Croix school principal), suggesting every campaign understands the math.
Sources: HOVENSA/Limetree Bay history from Wikipedia, NRDC, USVI Bureau of Economic Research (USVIBER), U.S. EPA, and Heritage.vi. Electoral history from Wikipedia (2018, 2022 USVI general elections) and St. Croix Source. Voter priority poll from VI Consortium citing Rattan Polling Service, February–March 2026 (n=500, ±4.4% margin of error). Candidate connections to St. Croix from Elections System of the Virgin Islands certified candidate list and verified news reporting. VIIQ does not endorse any candidate. If you have a correction or additional sourced information, email signal@viiq.org.
