A second gubernatorial ticket officially entered the 2026 race Thursday, as Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach and Sen. Novelle E. Francis Jr. submitted nomination papers at the V.I. Elections System office on St. Thomas ahead of the May 19 filing deadline. Their filing comes as election activity continues to ramp up across the territory, with candidates seeking offices ranging from governor and delegate to the Legislature, Board of Education, and Board of Elections formally entering the race in both districts.
Recent filings on St. Thomas and St. John have included Lorelei Marsh Monsanto, David Sierra, Michael A. Smith, Mayard Leader, Angel Bolques Jr., Dwayne M. Degraff and Carla J. Joseph for the Legislature; D’Vonte J. Xavier, Bruce Flamon and Judy M. Gomez for the Board of Education; and Atanya S. Springette and Joycelyn Jacobs for the Board of Elections. On St. Croix, filings have included congressional candidate Stacey Plaskett and running mate Milton Potter for governor and lieutenant governor, Emmett Hansen for delegate to Congress, along with legislative hopefuls Mutasem B.F. Mustafa, Elizabeth Hansen Watley, Alvin Milligan, Franklin Johnson and Dwight Mike Cartier, among others.
On Thursday, Roach and Francis submitted nomination papers at the V.I. Elections System office on St. Thomas, formally advancing their campaign for governor and lieutenant governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Speaking with The Source after the filing, Roach and Francis outlined priorities including infrastructure, education, health care, energy reliability, public safety, elder care and overall quality of life. The pair said their campaign would draw on their combined experience in government, education, law enforcement and legislative leadership.
Roach said the ticket intends to focus on completing public projects already in progress, including schools and health facilities, while also addressing long-standing problems in the territory, including energy reliability.
“We look forward to providing even more solutions to our energy situation,” Roach said. “We know that it’s a problem that has plagued the people of the territory for quite a long time, and we believe that at the core of it is creating a grid for our community that draws on multiple sources of power, whether wind, solar or traditional means of producing power, so that at no time would you have an entire island without power at the same time.”
Roach also said education and workforce development are key parts of the ticket’s approach, particularly efforts to expand opportunities for adults and strengthen human capital development across the territory.
“Our Department of Education is critically important to me as an educator,” Roach said. “We look forward to increasing opportunities for adult learning, increasing opportunities for the development of human capital in the territory, and to do many other projects that will improve the quality of life.”
Francis echoed Roach’s emphasis on improving residents’ quality of life.
“As we continue to go out and meet with the public, they continue to talk about infrastructure concerns,” Francis said. “They’ll talk about the roads, health care. They want to make sure that when they call the police, the police is responsive, and when they call for an ambulance, that there is an ambulance available.”
“We understand that. We live in this community,” he said, adding that his experience as a law enforcement officer and legislator has shaped his approach to government. “We understand the importance of providing the resources so that our public service could be able to function, and truly that will be what we continue to drive home.”
Francis referenced the territory’s recovery from the hurricanes and the pandemic, saying those experiences reinforced the need to keep projects moving.
“We have to work collectively to address the issues facing this community,” Francis said. “There’s a tremendous amount of work already underway, and it’s important that we’re able to continue that work on day one. I believe we represent the team to make that happen.”
Francis said his previous experience as Senate president has given him multiple opportunities to act as lieutenant governor, helping prepare him for the role if elected. He added that working alongside Roach would strengthen the transition into the office.
“I pride myself in having someone that has sat in that position for the last eight years, who would be a very good mentor, a very good teacher, to assist me in this endeavor,” Francis said.
Francis said the Office of the Lieutenant Governor plays a key role in generating government revenue, which he described as essential to funding services that improve residents’ quality of life.
“It’s a critical responsibility moving forward to ensure that we continue to create the revenues that will help us address quality of life issues by having the resources to provide the public sector,” he said.
Roach said his eight years as lieutenant governor, including serving as acting governor on numerous occasions, have given him a clear understanding of the role. He added that both he and Francis bring extensive public service experience, positioning them to work effectively across the executive and legislative branches.
“When we say that we believe ourselves to be the best team, we’re not just saying that,” Roach said. “If you look at the preparation of Senator Francis and myself, we’ve both had lives immersed in public service. We both had the opportunity to run agencies, we both had the experience of working in the legislature so we understand why the legislature and the executive must have a working relationship to be successful for the people of the Virgin Islands. We come prepared and ready.”
Roach said the formal campaign announcement is planned for May 30, when the ticket expects to present its platform in more detail at a public event and online.
“I’m a trusted public servant who has worked on your behalf and will continue to do so, so that we can work together and improve the quality of life for everybody in this territory, which we have the responsibility to be good stewards for,” Roach said.
