2022 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election

Last updated
2022 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg
  2018 November 8, 20222026 
Registered39,910
Turnout21,656
  Governor Albert Bryan Jr..jpg
Nominee Albert Bryan Kurt Vialet
Party Democratic Independent
Running mate Tregenza Roach Janelle Sarauw
Popular vote12,1578,244
Percentage56.14%38.07%

2022 United States Virgin Islands gubernatorial election results.svg
Results by district
Bryan:     Vialet:     

Governor before election

Albert Bryan
Democratic

Elected Governor

Albert Bryan
Democratic

The 2022 U.S. Virgin Islands gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022 to elect the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. The election was held concurrently with the 2022 United States midterm elections. [1]

Contents

Incumbent Democratic Governor Albert Bryan was elected to a second four-year term in office, receiving 56% of the vote. He ran against Independent candidate and territorial senator Kurt Vialet, independent activist Ronald Pickard, and former ICM senator Stephen Frett. [2]

Democratic primary

The 2022 Democratic gubernatorial primary was held on August 6, 2022. [4] Incumbents Governor Albert Bryan and Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach were challenged by Kent Bernier Sr. and his running mate, Oakland Benta. [5] Early voting began July 18 until August 1, 2022. [6] The first set of results came in at 8:45pm showing a close race between Bryan (566 votes) and Bernier (469 votes). Later into the night, Bryan commanded his lead with 3,270 votes compare to Bernier with 1,831 votes as early voting ballots were counted. Following a delay of votes at two voting sites on St. Thomas, unofficial results indicated Bryan with 4,016 votes won the nomination over Bernier, who received 2,146 votes. [7]

Debates

The Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands scheduled a Democratic gubernatorial forum with WTJX for July 14, 2022. Three days prior, the Bernier-Benta team withdrew from the forum and insisted on a debate with Bryan and Roach. [8]

Endorsements

Albert Bryan
Organizations
Individuals

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Albert
Bryan (D)
Kent
Bernier (D)
None
I AM LLC June 5, 2022752±3.5361%23%15%
June 30, 202259%24%15%

Results

Democratic primary results territory-wide [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Albert Bryan Jr. 4,269 65.04
Democratic Kent Bernier Sr.2,25534.35
N/A Write-in400.61
Total votes6,564 100
Democratic primary results St. Croix District
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Albert Bryan Jr. 1,656 53.33
Democratic Kent Bernier Sr.1,43246.12
N/A Write-in: Vialet (4), Vialet Sarauw (1), Kurt Vialet and Janelle Sarauw (1), Kurt Vialet (4), Vialet/Sarauw (1), Vialet Sarauw (1), Kurt Vialet (1), Vialet Sarauw (1), Pickard & Turnbull (1), Delroy Smith (1), Deanna James (1)170.55
Total votes3,384 100
Democratic primary results St. Thomas-St. John District
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Albert Bryan Jr. 2,613 75.54
Democratic Kent Bernier Sr.82323.79
N/A Write-in: Vialet Sarauw (10), Blank (3), Janelle Sarauw (2), My Lord & Savior (1), Albert Bryan (1), Vialet (1), David Silverman (1), No Crooks (1), None of above (1), E (1), Smokey Frett (1)230.66
Total votes3,459 100

General election

The gubernatorial general election was held on November 8, 2022, with incumbent governor Albert Bryan facing three candidates: St. Croix Senator Kurt Vialet, former police officer Ronald Pickard, and former senator Stephen Frett. Early voting started October 10 and ran through October 31, 2022.

In this divisive election, Sarauw again faced questions about her tenure at CAHS as a teacher, which was mentioned during her 2016 Senate campaign. [12] She pushed back by stating that the reprimand letter was for being the most inspiring teacher during the 2009-2010 school year, and an honor from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and any unbecoming behavior she may have exhibited during her tenure as an educator at CAHS, could also be attributed to her age, 21 at that time. "I was 21, I was a baby. I was 21 then, I'm making 37 in two days, and people grow, evolve and they mature." [13]

At a virtual campaign rally, Bryan supporter King Derby sang "Roach & His Sluxter" while referring to Sarauw as "he/she" and Vialet as "that long-neck fella." The commentary drew outcry from the community, which led to Bryan apologizing days later. [14]

On election day, incumbents Governor Albert Bryan and Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach won 12,157 votes (56.14%), while their closest rivals, Kurt Vialet and Janelle Sarauw, received 8,244 votes (38.07%). Election results were certified on November 18, 2022. [15]

The Bryan campaign was fined $2,000 by the Elections System after fundraising with Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on September 27. [16]


Endorsements

Kurt Vialet (I)
  • Cedric Armstrong, owner of Armstrong Ice Cream
  • Dr. Brittany Dawson, certified nurse‐midwife
  • Nereida Rivera-O'Reilly, former St. Croix Senator (2009–2019)

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Albert
Bryan (D)
Kurt
Vialet (I)
NoneRonald
Pickard (I)
I AM LLC May 10, 2022Territory-wide40033%29%16%9%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Albert
Bryan (D)
I AM LLC May 10, 2022St. Croix District400-44%20%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Albert
Bryan (D)
Kurt
Vialet (I)
I AM LLC May 10, 2022St. Thomas-St. John District400-46%14%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Albert
Bryan (D)
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Stephen Frett (ICM)Ronald
Pickard (I)
Undecided
VI Tech Stack September 7-13, 2022Territory-wide± 3.82%65048%25%1%1%23%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Albert
Bryan (D)
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Ronald
Pickard (I)
Stephen Frett (ICM)Undecided
VI Tech Stack September 7-13, 2022St. Thomas-St. John District400± 4.86%58%18%1%0%21%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Albert
Bryan (D)
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Ronald
Pickard (I)
Stephen Frett (ICM)Undecided
VI Tech Stack September 7-13, 2022St. Croix District250± 6.17%37%34%1%0%25%
Poll sourceDate(s)
released
RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Albert
Bryan (D)
NoneStephen
Frett (ICM)
Ronald
Pickard (I)
I AM LLC October 31, 2022Territory-wide423± 4.74%44%40%10%4%0%
Poll sourceDate(s)
released
Island of RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Albert
Bryan (D)
Stephen
Frett (ICM)
NoneRonald
Pickard (I)
I AM LLC October 31, 2022St. Croix224± 6.53%46%42%6%3%1%
Poll sourceDate(s)
released
Island of RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Albert
Bryan (D)
NoneStephen
Frett (ICM)
Ronald
Pickard (I)
I AM LLC October 31, 2022St. Thomas199± 6.92%38%38%19%3%0%
Poll sourceDate(s)
released
Island of RespondentsSample
size
Margin
of error
Kurt
Vialet (I)
Albert
Bryan (D)
NoneStephen
Frett (ICM)
Ronald
Pickard (I)
I AM LLC October 31, 2022St. John199± 6.92%66%22%11%0%0%
Poll sourceSchool districtDate(s)
administered
Vialet / Sarauw (#4)Bryan / Roach (#1)Pickard / Turnbull (#2)Frett / Miller (#3)
IEKHS St. Thomas-St. JohnOctober 21, 20221671558746
Poll sourceSchool districtDate(s)
administered
Kurt Vialet / Janelle K. Sarauw (I)Albert Bryan Jr. / Tregenza Roach (D)Ronald Pickard / Elroy Turnbull (I)Stephen “Smokey” Frett / Gregory R. Miller Jr. (I)
CAHS St. Thomas-St. JohnOctober 21-25, 20221851737929
Poll sourceSchool districtDate(s)
administered
Kurt Vialet and Janelle K. SarauwAlbert Bryan Jr. and Tregenza RoachStephen “Smokey” Frett and Gregory R. Miller Jr.Ronald Pickard and Elroy Turnbull
St. Croix Educational Complex St. CroixOctober 21, 20222831204216
Poll sourceSchool districtDate(s)
administered
Kurt Vialet / Janelle K. SarauwAlbert Bryan Jr. / Tregenza RoachRonald Pickard / Elroy TurnbullStephen “Smokey” Frett / Gregory R. Miller Jr.
St. Croix Central High School St. CroixOctober 28, 20222792262338
Poll sourceSchool districtKurt Vialet & Janelle K. SarauwAlbert Bryan Jr. & Tregenza RoachRonald Pickard & Elroy TurnbullStephen “Smokey” Frett & Gregory R. Miller Jr.
Lew Muckle Elementary SchoolSt. Croix532660

Results

2022 U.S. Virgin Islands gubernatorial election [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Albert Bryan Jr. (incumbent) 12,157 56.14
Independent Kurt Vialet 8,24438.07
Independent Citizens Movement Stephen Frett7403.42
Independent Ronald Pickard2431.12
N/A Write-in2721.26
Total votes21,656 100.00
Turnout 22,55756.52
Registered electors 39,910
Democratic hold


Results by district

DistrictBryanVialetFrettPickardWrite-inTotal
St. Croix4,502 (43.35%)5,378 (51.79%)213 (2.05%)126 (1.21%)166 (1.6%)10,385
St. Thomas-St. John7,042 (68.48%)2,548 (24.78%)492 (4.78%)112 (1.09%)90 (0.88%)10,284

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