April 18, 2004 – The Virgin Islands Democratic Party Saturday elected six delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
James O'Bryan Jr., state chair of the Democratic Party, calls the 788 registered Democrats who cast votes "a record."
Elected from the district of St. Croix were, Labor Commissioner Cecil R. Benjamin, St. Croix Administrator Gregory Francis and former Young Democrats president and District Party Vice Chair Sonia Boyce.
Elected from the district of St. Thomas/St. John were businesswoman Desiree Hill, Young Democrats President Sandra T. Mason and former American Federation of Teachers president and Labor Department official Glen J. Smith.
Simon Caines, Executive Director of the 25th Legislature who garnered the second highest votes territory wide will be named alternate. Caines resides in the St. Thomas/St. John district. The State Chair will appoint a delegation page after consultation with the St. Croix District party.
According to a press release issued by the party on Sunday, the six delegates will each cast a half vote to nominate Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. The VI delegation will cast six total votes for Sen. Kerry. The four DNC members will cast one-quarter votes each and the super delegates; Governor Charles Turnbull and Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen will each cast one vote.
The convention will be held July 26 through July 29.
Yesterday's national convention delegate election in St. Croix was held at the Midland Restaurant where 391 votes were counted. In the St. Thomas/St. John district 397 ballots were cast at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel.
The V.I. Democratic Party Caucus official results as supplied by the Party in a press release. Candidates elected have an asterisk by their name.
ST. THOMAS-ST.JOHN
Elmo A. Adams, Jr., 23
Simon K. Caines 79
Hugo I. Dennis, Jr. 16
Mark Hodge, 50
Basil C. Ottley 28
Glen J. Smith 170*
Rev. Toi A. Barbel Smith 182
Desiree D. Hill 252*
Pierina Jacobs Roebuck 25
Sandra Thomas-Mason 203*
ST. CROIX
Cecil Benjamin 158*
Gregory Francis 258*
Omar B.U. Henry 112
Maxwell Mclntosh, 112
Dr. Adelle Alien 49
Gloria C. Waterman 75
Carol Burke 110
Sonia Boyce 144*
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