Plaskett Leads Governor's Race as Unofficial 2026 Election Results Emerge Across USVI

Nov 3

3 min read

Sarauw Dominates Delegate Race; St. Croix Legislative Contest Shows Competitive Field as Voters Decide Who Will Represent the Territory

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — November 3, 2026

Unofficial election results released by the Virgin Islands Elections System are beginning to paint a picture of the political landscape across the territory, with Democratic candidates establishing strong leads in several major races as the 2026 General Election unfolds.

According to the Early Voting Summary Results Report dated November 3, 2026, at 8:22 p.m., a total of 12,242 ballots had been recorded, with 13 blank ballots reported. The report listed overall voter turnout at 19.15%.

The numbers show Delegate to Congress Stacey E. Plaskett leading the gubernatorial contest, while Janelle K. Sarauw holds a substantial advantage in the race for Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Plaskett Leads Five-Ticket Gubernatorial Contest

In the closely watched race for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Democratic candidate Stacey E. Plaskett was leading with 7,763 votes.

Independent candidates followed:

Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg — 1,298
Oakland Benta — 1,195
Warren Mosler — 721
Gustav James — 337

Write-in candidates collectively received 224 votes.

Plaskett's lead places her well ahead of the four independent tickets in the unofficial report. However, the final outcome will depend on the complete tabulation and certification of election results.

Sarauw Holds Commanding Lead in Congressional Delegate Race

The race for Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives showed an even wider margin.

Democratic candidate Janelle K. Sarauw received 8,243 votes, compared with 2,060 for independent candidate Shelley A. H. Moorhead.

Write-in candidates accounted for another 204 votes.

Sarauw's advantage in the unofficial report represents a substantial lead in one of the territory's most important federal representation contests.

At-Large Senate Race

In the Legislature of the Virgin Islands at-large contest, independent candidate Hadiya Sewer was leading with 5,985 votes.

Democratic candidate Angel Bolques Jr. followed with 3,957 votes, while write-in candidates received 27 votes.

The contest is drawing attention as voters consider who will serve as the territorywide senator.

St. Croix Legislative Race Remains Competitive

On St. Croix, where voters are selecting seven senators, the unofficial results show Democratic candidate Kurt Vialet leading the field with 4,124 votes.

Other candidates among the leading vote-getters include:

Kenneth "Kenny" Gittens (DEM) — 2,867
Franklin D. Johnson (IND) — 2,700
Clifford A. Joseph (DEM) — 2,619
Nemmy Williams-Jackson (DEM) — 2,386
Lisa J. Charles (DEM) — 2,364
Jose "Besse" Gonzalez (DEM) — 2,330

Hubert L. Frederick followed with 1,957 votes, while independent candidate Nellie Rivera O'Reilly received 1,852.

Samuel Carrion received 1,715 votes, and Bianca Francis received 1,481.

With seven seats available, the contest remains an important one to watch as the final results are compiled.

St. Thomas and St. John Legislative Race

The St. Thomas/St. John legislative contest also produced a competitive field.

Democratic candidate Avery L. Lewis was leading with 2,851 votes.

Independent candidates Alma Francis Heyliger and Imani Daniel followed closely with 2,747 and 2,732 votes, respectively.

Other leading candidates included:

Rudel A. Hodge Jr. (DEM) — 2,414
Marvin A. Blyden (DEM) — 2,393
Sennai Habtes (IND) — 2,241
Carla Joseph (DEM) — 2,127
Dwayne M. DeGraff (IND) — 2,072
Shenelle Fina Francis (DEM) — 1,980

The relatively close margins among several candidates make this another race worth monitoring as additional results become available.

Education and Elections Boards

The unofficial report also included results for the territory's education and election boards.

For the St. Croix Board of Education, Vincent H.A. Gordon Jr., Ph.D., was leading with 2,094 votes, followed by Terrence T. Joseph with 1,945 and Lucy M. Jackson, Ph.D., with 1,889.

On St. Thomas and St. John, Judy M. Gomez led the Board of Education contest with 3,175 votes, followed by Arah C. Lockhart with 2,554.

For the St. Croix Board of Elections, Shamari I. Haynes led with 2,819 votes, followed by Mary "Peggy" Moorhead with 1,989 and Kareem T. Francis with 1,778.

On St. Thomas and St. John, Raven Phillips led the St. John Board of Elections contest with 2,010 votes.

For the St. Thomas Board of Elections, Barbara A. Petersen received 2,437 votes, followed by Kevin A. Rodriquez with 2,286.

Final Results Still Awaited

While the unofficial figures provide an early indication of where the major races stand, voters and candidates will have to await the Elections System's complete results and official certification before any race can be considered officially decided.

The 2026 General Election represents another important moment for the U.S. Virgin Islands, with voters determining who will lead the territory, represent its interests in Washington, and serve in the 37th Legislature.

As the counting process continues, attention will remain focused on the gubernatorial contest, the congressional delegate race, and the seven legislative seats available on each of the territory's two major voting districts.