Sen. Vargrave Richards will retain his title for two more years and Senate candidate Raymond "Usie" Richards may or may not be one in 2002, following the final tally of absentee votes for St. Croix on Saturday afternoon.
Sen. Richards and Raymond Richards, who are cousins, tied for the seventh St. Croix Senate seat in the Nov. 7 general election at 3,936 votes. Following close behind by only 19 votes was Luther Renee.
But after 449 absentee ballots were counted Saturday, Sen. Richards prevailed by 25 votes with a total of 146. Usie Richards received 121 while Renee got 53. Another 52 ballots were "spoiled," meaning they were deemed ineligble.
As of 7:30 p.m., elections officials were still tabulating the absentee ballots for the St. Thomas-St. John district.
As in St. Croix, St. Thomas-St. John had a battle for the seventh Senate seat. On Nov. 7 Sen. George Goodwin won the seventh and last district seat with 4,998 votes but Sen. Lorraine Berry was close behind with 4,883. With the 679 absentee ballots that went out in the distrct, Goodwin's lead could easily evaporate.
Approximately 1,157 absentee ballots were either mailed or picked up, 478 on St. Croix and 679 in St. Thomas-St. John.
Sen. Richards couldn't be reached for comment Saturday. Usie Richards, who also chairs the Joint Board of Elections, congratulated Sen. Richards on his victory.
"I think the process went well," Usie Richards said. "I think the absentee ballot voters spoke."
He said he hasn't decided on making another run for the Senate in 2002 even though his election finishes have improved each time he has run. In 1986 he finished 10th, in 1998 he improved to 9th and this year he finished 8th. Still, he said, taking leave from his job and the stress of running an election takes a toll – both mentally and monetarily.
"I will take input from my family and committee members," he said. "For me to run again will take some very serious contemplation on my behalf."
