Benta Potter
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Oakland Benta
/ Merwin Potter
Governor · Lieutenant Governor · 2026 General Election · November 3, 2026
Oakland Benta is a former St. Croix senator and retired law enforcement officer. He served as a member of the Virgin Islands Police Department for more than 15 years, rising to serve as St. Croix Police Chief. He was elected to the 33rd Legislature in 2019 and narrowly lost his re-election bid in 2020. He ran as running mate on the Bernier gubernatorial ticket in the 2022 Democratic primary, and ran independently for Senate in 2024. He is running for Governor in 2026 as an Independent.
Campaign website and platform pending review.
Merwin Potter is a career public servant with deep roots in the VI Fire Service. He joined as a firefighter in 1983 and worked his way up over 20 years to serve as Fire Chief for the St. Thomas–St. John District. He served as VI Fire Service Director from 2004–2006 and as St. Thomas–Water Island Administrator under Governor Kenneth Mapp beginning in 2015. He has received commendations and certifications from the USCG, U.S. Department of Justice, Auburn University, the National Weather Service, and FEMA.
Additional background to be confirmed from public records and campaign materials.
Background & Career
Sourced from Ballotpedia, VI Consortium, VI Daily News, St. Thomas Source, and verified news reporting. All entries are confirmed public record.
Each issue below maps to a category from VIIQ's 2026 Issues Guide. Positions are added only when we find a verified public statement. Where no sourced position exists, it is noted. If you represent this campaign and want to submit a platform document, email signal@viiq.org.
"I've always loved having the opportunity to serve my community from a young age. There were many areas of concern that drove me to run for office, such as a failing economy."
Source note: Candidate certification from the Elections System of the Virgin Islands, June 2026. Oakland Benta background sourced from Ballotpedia, VI Consortium ("Kent Bernier Files Paperwork," May 2022), VI Daily News, and verified election records. Merwin Potter background sourced from St. Thomas Source ("Merwin Potter Replaces Boschulte as St. Thomas-Water Island Administrator," November 2015) and Government House press releases. VIIQ does not attribute positions that have not been publicly stated. To submit a 2026 campaign platform document, email signal@viiq.org.