A US Virgin Islands candidate moved to overturn his exclusion from the November ballot through an emergency court filing on Tuesday, arguing that elections officials improperly denied him the chance to fix a signature shortfall that other aspirants were permitted to remedy.
Jed JohnHope, who initially failed to gather sufficient signatures to petition as an independent candidate for Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, contends the disqualification stems from his years of public opposition to government corruption. Early voting begins October 16, and he seeks a temporary restraining order to restore his candidacy before that date.
In his June complaint, JohnHope alleged that elections officials targeted him because of his vocal criticism of the Bryan Administration. The emergency motion filed this week includes text messages from December 2025 between JohnHope and Governor Albert Bryan Jr. that he says support his retaliation claim.
In the exchange, Bryan wrote "I'm patiently waiting for you on the ballot," then stated "U think im bullying u? Wait til you run." JohnHope responded with "Yeah. Well you were not good at being governor either." Bryan had earlier told him "It's not personal. I think ur a bright guy but politics ain't ur thing."
JohnHope served as vice chairman of the V.I. Water and Power Authority governing board and has long questioned government decisions and advocated for transparency. He names Elections Supervisor Caroline Fawkes and Elections Board Chairman Raymond Williams as defendants.
JohnHope argues that Fawkes relied on a legal opinion from Attorney General Gordon Rhea, who is appointed by the governor, to justify the disqualification. He contends this arrangement demonstrates "retaliatory and coordinated governmental action."
He is seeking disclosure of communications between the Governor's Office, the Attorney General, elections officials and other government bodies regarding his candidacy and removal from the ballot. He cited a federal case that temporarily restored press credentials to CNN reporters barred from the White House, saying his ballot access deserves similar interim protection while litigation continues.
The general election is scheduled for November 3.
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