Fourth-place gubernatorial candidate Warren Mosler came out strongly against Gov. Kenneth Mapp in a statement on his Facebook page while his running mate, Ray Fonseca, recently endorsed Mapp.
“While I see no merits to either candidate in the Nov. 20. runoff, I continue to advise against voting for Gov. Mapp under any circumstances due to the serious risk that he will find joy in turning against all of us the way some children find joy in pulling the wings off of insects,” Mosler wrote on Nov. 13.
Meanwhile, the Mapp campaign has issued a release trumpeting the endorsement of Mosler’s running mate, Ray Fonseca, “”(f)ollowing meetings with Gov. Mapp and his team.”
With Mapp, an independent, facing off against Democrat Albert Bryan in a runoff gubernatorial election Nov. 20, endorsements from the losing candidates might tip the election one way or the other.
As of the last official release, Thursday evening, Bryan had 9,539 votes and 37.93 percent, to Mapp’s 8,479 and 33.71 percent. That’s a difference of 1,060 votes.
Third-place finisher Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg and running-mate Sen. Alicia “Chucky” Hansen received 4,116 votes, or 6.36 percent of voters. Mosler/Fonseca are at 1,188 votes, or 4.66 percent. If those voters are relatively evenly split, that is still enough to overcome Bryan’s lead or cement it in place, depending on how they swing. The same goes for fifth-place independent Soraya Diase Coffelt’s 1,173 votes. So while Bryan’s widening lead may be suggestive, this race can still easily go either way.
Donastorg has not indicated publicly what he would like to do. He has ignored all requests from the Source for comment throughout the campaign and his Facebook page gives no hint.
Hansen posted recently on her Facebook page that she has not yet decided.
“I know that their has been much speculation about me supporting both gubernatorial candidates, I want to make it clear that as of today I have not committed to either team. I believe that the people of this territory are too precious to just make such a decision overnight. I want all my diehard supporters to know that I appreciate you waiting on my guidance,” Hansen wrote.
Fonseca strongly endorsed Mapp, saying the incumbent governor handled the aftermath of last year’s hurricanes well. He also promised Mapp will fix the government pension crisis.
“I can assure you the GERS will be in good hands and that no retirement benefits will be cut and no contributions will increase,” Fonseca said. There is no proposal or plan in existence presently under which Fonseca’s promise is possible. Right now, the pension is projected to be bankrupt by 2024 and be forced to cut benefits by around 50 percent.
Mapp’s proposals so far could, under the highest revenue projections from an as-yet uncertain partial refinery restart delay that collapse by up to five years, if the revenues make a high rate of return on investment and also the Legislature acts immediately on reforms Mapp proposed earlier this year. If revenues are in the mid-range of projections, GERS would be extended only by months.
Fonseca also supports Mapp as a check on the Democratic Party.
“Our system of government needs checks and balances. The Democratic Party now has a super, super majority in our (Virgin Islands) Legislature and can override and pass any law they see fit. The Democratic Party has absolute power and control over our government, and this should be balanced.”
He also raises the specter of mass layoffs if Bryan wins.
“Our island cannot afford the Bryan/Roach team conducting wholesale terminations of hardworking individuals for no cause,” Fonseca writes.
