St. John’s Craig Barshinger was elected Senator At Large. The community activist and perennial candidate narrowly defeated the incumbent, Almando Liburd. After counting provisional and absentee ballots late last week, Barshinger led by 319 votes in unofficial results released by the Board of Elections over the weekend, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News. Analysts said voters on St. Croix were instrumental in giving the Senator-elect his victory.
It was his fifth campaign effort in 10 years. Previous efforts, he told the St. John Source, were "necessary in learning how to get things done; how to build up a network of friendships, (and) people with shared goals." Barshinger, who’s actively involved in the St. John Community Foundation’s project to develop a recommendation for local government, said finally winning the Senate seat is not a big deal. "I suppose when it sinks in, I’ll be more ebullient," he commented, "but to me it’s just a position on a board, an important position."
In other contests, Donna M. Christensen easily won reelection as the territory’s Delegate to Congress.