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Politics of the United States Virgin Islands
Constitution United States Constitution Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands
Executive Government Governor Albert Bryan Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach Cabinet
Legislature Legislature President of the Legislature Myron D. Jackson
Judiciary Court System Supreme Court District Court Superior Court
Elections Elections Political Parties Democratic Party Independent Citizens Movement Republican Party Political party strength
Divisions Districts and sub-districts Islands St. Croix St. Thomas St. John
Federal relations Federal representation United States House of Representatives Delegate of the U.S. Virgin Islands Stacey Plaskett (D)
Politics of the United States  Politics portal

The Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands is a political party in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and is affiliated with the Democratic Party at the nationwide level. It won the gubernatorial elections of 2018 when its candidate Albert Bryan was elected with 54.5%. At the last elections in November 2018, the party won 13 out of 15 seats in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. Out of 51,000 registered voters in the U.S. Virgin Islands, approximately 30,000 voters are registered Democrats.^[1]

According to political scientist Malik Sekou of the University of the Virgin Islands, the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands is the strongest party in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with the other significant parties (Independent Citizens Movement and the Republican Party of the Virgin Islands) failing to be competitive in gubernatorial elections for over three decades.^[1] Politicians affiliated with the party have dominated the legislature for the last 30 years, served as governors for 25 years out of 33 years from 1987 to 2020, and served as the Delegate to Congress 29 years out of 33 years during the same span.^[1]

Unity takeover

After the Revised Organic Act of 1954 allowed the Virgin Islands to elect its own legislature, the party quickly gained a monopoly over legislative power. Since 1954, an separate, unorganized faction of the party called the Unity Party, (also called the Mortar and Pestle Democrats) had existed and won seats in elections, winning a majority in 1962.

In 1963, according to district judge Walter A. Gordon, "the Unity Party, through a fraudulent, collusive and conspiratorial scheme attempted and was successful in taking over the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands." The Unity Part voted to change their names to the Virgin Islands Unity-Democratic Party, to imply an affiliation with the national Democratic Party, and circulated a petition among its members to register as the as the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands, and then voted itself out of existence and started using the name of the Democratic Party.

Unity Party members then successfully gained a majority of seats on the original Democratic Party's, and consolidated power by expelling existing Democratic Party members (or Donkey Democrats) and consolidating Unity Party control.^[2]

In Alexander V. Todman in 1964, the District Court of the United States Virgin Islands declared the takeover null and void and affirmed the validity of the original leadership of the Democratic Party. 158-1963. (United States District Court, Virgin Islands, D. St. Thomas and St. John. 17 July 1964).

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