Incoming US Virgin Islands Senators Told to Brace for Gridlock and Lost Time

Newly elected senators got a candid preview of legislative life Thursday when sitting members of the 36th Legislature shared hard lessons about the job they will inherit in January.

Hadiya Sewer, who won the territory-wide at-large seat; Rudel Hodge Jr., elected from the St. Thomas-St. John District; and Jose "Besse" Gonzalez, one of three newcomers chosen to represent St. Croix, attended the November 12 session. All three take office January 11, 2027.

Senate President Milton Potter, departing to become lieutenant governor under incoming Governor Stacey Plaskett, pressed the newcomers to preserve collegial bonds even when disputes turn heated. "You can disagree, disagree fiercely, disagree passionately, but never lose respect for each other," Potter said. He added that the territory's size and scale of challenges make personal grudges destructive: "Grudges become an impediment to progress."

Senator Novelle Francis Jr. struck a more personal note, warning about the toll of public service. "Word of caution to the Senator-Elect: Enjoy your civilian life. Come January 11th, you're one of them. You no longer have a life," Francis said.

Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet offered the starkest assessment. He told incoming lawmakers they face a "really heavy slate" of problems that the Legislature cannot solve alone, pointing to institutional failures that have persisted despite years of legislative spending and scrutiny.

Vialet highlighted three examples: the University of the Virgin Islands operating under a Non-Compliance Show Cause designation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority suspended by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, leaving roughly 100 families unable to access home rebuilding and repair support; and the hospital system cycling through eight chief executive officers since 2014 without visible improvement.

"We have supported the University of the Virgin Islands by countless appropriations, but it's up to them to be able to retain that accreditation," Vialet said. "So, systemically, something else is wrong."

The incoming Legislature will begin work one week after Governor-elect Plaskett and Lieutenant Governor-elect Potter take the oath on January 4. The November 3 election brought fresh faces into the chamber, including candidates backed by TheFuture, a movement whose success reflected voter demand for greater openness and government reform.