The St. Croix district will have to reduce the number of Democrats seeking seats in the 24th Legislature to seven in the Sept. 9 primary election.
A last-minute rush at both district election offices kept officials busy tabulating the number of candidates seeking elected office until well after 8 p.m. Tuesday night. In the end, while a primary will be needed in the St. Croix Senate race, where nine Democratic candidates filed, in the St. Thomas-St. John district only seven Democrats are seeking senatorial seats.
The seven Democrats that will emerge winners in the St. Croix primary election will face a number of independent candidates in the November general election. The field of senatorial candidates in the St. Croix district includes seven Democrats, four Republicans, three Independent Citizens Movement members and 10 independent candidates.
With no primary needed on St. Thomas, the November senatorial race will feature seven Democrats, two Republicans, two Independent Citizens Movement and 17 independents.
No Democrat is challenging Delegate to Congress Donna Christian Christiansen so she will head to the November election to face, for the third time, independent candidate Victor Frazer and for the first time, ICM candidate Jorge Estemac.
The Nov. 7 general election will see a total of 53 candidates — 23 in St. Croix, 28 in the St. Thomas-St. John district — vying for 15 seats in the 24th Legislature. Two candidates are running at-large: incumbent Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Democrat Craig Barshinger.
Aside from the senatorial race, elections will be held next month for Democratic party officers and the Boards of Election and Education.
Supervisor of Elections John Abramson noted on Tuesday night that candidates employed by either federal or local government who have filed for public office should begin distancing themselves from active service.
"They will be required to come into compliance with the campaign disclosure laws," he said. "Also, they are required to take a leave of absence from their places of employment."
