The 1978 United States Virgin Islands general election took place on November 7, 1978, to elect public officials in the United States Virgin Islands.
Losing candidates often did not have their political affiliations listed on election returns.
Gubernatorial
The 1978 Virgin Islands gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent governor Juan Francisco Luis, who succeeded to office upon the death of Cyril King, defeated U.S. House delegate Ron de Lugo in the general election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Juan Francisco Luis | 12,100 | 59.87% | |
| Democratic | Ron de Lugo | 8,111 | 40.13% | |
| Total votes | 20,113 | 100% | ||
| Independent hold | ||||
Results by island
| Island | Luis | Lugo | Margin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix | 6,570 | 67.94% | 3,100 | 32.06% | +35.88 |
| St. John | 425 | 75.76% | 136 | 24.24% | +51.52 |
| St. Thomas | 4,905 | 50.15% | 4,875 | 49.85% | +0.30 |
Delegate to the United States House of Representatives
The 1978 United States House of Representatives election in the Virgin Islands took place on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democrat Ron de Lugo retired to run for Governor, leaving the seat open. Republican Melvin H. Evans was elected by a narrow margin to only first 2-year term.
As of April 2024, this is the last time a Republican has won a U.S. House election in the Virgin Islands.
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jan Watlington | 4,758 | 51.58% | |
| Democratic | Julio A. Brady | 4,467 | 48.42% | |
| Total votes | 9,225 | 100% | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Melvin H. Evans | 10,539 | 52.40% | |
| Democratic | Jan Watlington | 9,574 | 47.60% | |
| Total votes | 20,113 | 100% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Results by island
| Island | Evans | Waltington | Margin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix | 6,066 | 62.90% | 3,578 | 37.10% | +25.80 |
| St. John | 363 | 63.46% | 209 | 36.54% | +26.92 |
| St. Thomas | 4,110 | 41.53% | 5,787 | 58.47% | +16.94 |
References
- ^ a b c "STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION OF 1978 ELECTIONS ACCORDING TO POLLING PLACES" (PDF). VI Vote. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
