Kurt Vialet won St. Croix's Senate race by a commanding margin on Tuesday, collecting 6,494 votes to finish 2,086 votes clear of his nearest competitor in a field of 24 candidates, according to the Elections System of the Virgin Islands.
The Democratic majority leader of the current Legislature built his lead through 4,124 early votes and 2,370 ballots cast on Election Day. Senate Vice President Kenneth "Kenny" Gittens took second place with 4,408 votes, followed by Independent Senator Franklin D. Johnson in third with 4,166 votes and Democratic Senator Clifford A. Joseph in fourth with 4,026.
Three candidates without prior Senate experience claimed the remaining three seats. Democrat Lisa J. Charles finished fifth with 3,714 votes, educator and administrator Ophelia "Nemmy" Williams-Jackson placed sixth with 3,706 votes, and Jose "Besse" Gonzalez secured the seventh and final winning position with 3,693 votes.
The new Senate will seat six Democrats and one independent from St. Croix when the 37th Legislature convenes in January 2027. Four sitting senators won reelection: Vialet, Gittens, Johnson and Joseph, preserving continuity in the island's legislative representation as the territory prepares for a new gubernatorial administration.
Incumbent Hubert L. Frederick, who chairs the Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture, did not survive the ballot. He finished ninth with 2,990 votes, placing just 10 votes behind former Senator Nellie Rivera-O'Reilly, who came eighth with 3,000. Gonzalez's winning margin over Rivera-O'Reilly was 693 votes, creating a substantial gap between the final successful candidate and those who fell short.
Vialet's Tuesday performance extended his dominance from the August 1 Democratic primary, when he also led the St. Croix field with 3,698 votes, finishing 893 votes ahead of Gittens. His general election total proved the highest recorded by any candidate across both district Senate races.
Charles brings nearly three decades of community work and holds a master's degree in healthcare management, she stated at an October 28 League of Women Voters forum. Williams-Jackson, who grew up in Grove Place, previously worked as a teacher and administrator with the Virgin Islands Department of Education and served as deputy commissioner of the Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation. Gonzalez described approximately 24 years in government service, including positions with the Bureau of Corrections and the Youth Rehabilitation Center, during an October 23 candidate forum.
The Elections System has not yet canvassed and certified the results.
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