St. Croix Senate Race Takes Shape as 24 Candidates Vie for Seats

Incumbents, former lawmakers and political newcomers will compete in a crowded November election

ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands — Voters on St. Croix will face a crowded field when they head to the polls Nov. 3, with 24 candidates competing in the St. Croix District Senate race.

Candidate Field

The field includes sitting senators seeking another term, former lawmakers returning to electoral politics, Democratic nominees who emerged from the August primary and a large group of independent candidates.

The candidates appearing on the general-election ballot, according to the Elections System of the Virgin Islands, are Nemmy Williams-Jackson, Clifford Joseph, Bianca Francis, Elizabeth Hansen Watley, Tyler Courtland Fay, Luz “Lucy” Browne, Jose “Besse” Gonzalez, Troy C. Williams Sr., Kenneth “Kenny” Gittens, Julian S. Veira, Mustasem “Moe” Mustafa, Kurt Vialet, Nellie Rivera O’Reilly, Samuel Carrión, Alvin Milligan, Troy D. Mason, Diane Prosper, Raymond T. James, Norman Jn Baptiste, Hubert L. Frederick, Gage Edmunds, Lisa J. Charles, Franklin Johnson and Jay Watson.

The race brings together candidates with significantly different political backgrounds. Among the better-known names are incumbent senators Kurt Vialet, Kenneth Gittens, Clifford Joseph and Hubert Frederick, who are seeking to continue their service in the Legislature.

The general election also features several candidates with previous experience in the Legislature. Former senators Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly, Samuel Carrión and Norman Jn Baptiste are among those returning to the political arena. Carrión, who served two terms beginning in 2020, entered the 2026 Senate contest as an independent after losing his reelection bid in 2024.

The independent candidates add another dimension to the contest, giving voters alternatives outside the Democratic primary structure.

Democratic Primary Results

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The August Democratic primary helped determine which candidates would advance to the general election.

Vialet led the Democratic Senate primary with 3,539 votes, while Gittens, Joseph, Williams-Jackson, Charles, Frederick and Gonzalez also secured Democratic nominations.

The primary campaign focused heavily on issues affecting everyday life in the territory, including the cost of living, health care, education, public safety, government accountability and economic development.

At a July Democratic Senate forum on St. Croix, the candidates offered different priorities for their legislative agendas.

Williams-Jackson discussed increasing Medicaid reimbursement and strengthening the territory's hospitals.

 Vialet focused on services for people with special needs and the territory's growing elderly population.

Frederick identified abandoned and derelict buildings as an issue requiring legislative attention, while other candidates raised mental-health care, agriculture, youth rehabilitation and government accountability.

Campaign Issues

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With the primary concluded, the broader general-election campaign is expected to center on the island's economic future, health-care system, public safety, infrastructure, housing, education, government spending and the condition of communities across St. Croix.

The unusually large field gives voters a broad selection of candidates and political platforms to consider before Election Day.

The contest also places candidates with legislative experience alongside political newcomers and former lawmakers seeking a return to public office.

Election Logistics

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The Elections System conducted the official drawing for ballot positions in August. Williams-Jackson was assigned No. 3, Joseph No. 4, Francis No. 5 and Hansen Watley No. 6. Vialet received No. 14, Gittens No. 11, Frederick No. 22 and Charles No. 24.

With the general election scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, candidates now face the final weeks of campaigning and voter outreach.

The Elections System has published the official candidate information and election materials for voters as the election approaches.

The St. Croix Senate race is therefore shaping up as a contest that brings together experience, political comebacks and new voices — with voters ultimately deciding which candidates will represent the island in the 37th Legislature.