For many of us, an island vacation in the winter is the perfect getaway. For Donald Trump and Nikki Haley’s successors, it’s serious business.
The US Virgin Islands’ new caucus system will give Trump, 77, and Haley, 52, their first chance to face each other after the New Hampshire primary — meaning the territory is under more scrutiny than ever before in the election process.
Neither Trump nor Haley have visited the Caribbean outpost, and neither is likely to do so in the run-up to the Feb. 8 caucus.
However, the islands have been the focus of a frenzy of strategizing and Zoom calls out as the rivals fight for all four delegates up for grabs.
Caucus logistics
The US Virgin Islands election is technically the third contest in the country, as it is four hours ahead of Nevada, which will hold its Republican caucus on the same day.
The Republican National Committee reduced the number of delegates representing the islands from nine to four after the regional GOP implemented ranked-choice voting — violating an RNC rule that caucuses held before March 15 must allocate delegates in proportion to the number of votes each candidate receives.
The US Virgin Islands time zone makes their third competition in the country. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The USVI, like other U.S. territories, does not participate in general elections, meaning its caucuses are more important than ever, according to Republican Party of the Virgin Islands Executive Director Dennis Lennox.
“The Virgin Islands have never seen this kind of attention in any previous cycle, either on the Democratic side or on the Republican side,” Lennox told The Post.
“There’s no question that breaking the RNC calendar gives Virgin Islanders a relevant say and has ensured the success we’ve seen.”
The early date also encourages GOP presidential candidates — many of whom are no longer in the race — to pay $20,000 to register to vote.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, businessman Perry Johnson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will all be listed as ballot picks despite dropping out weeks or months ago.
Under a caucus ranking system — similar to the one used in New York City, Alaska and Maine — voters would be able to rank multiple candidates by preference. If no one gets more than 50% support after the initial count, the candidate with the fewest votes is “eliminated” and their second-choice vote is distributed to another candidate.
This process continues until one candidate gets an absolute majority.
The ranked-choice election process allows voters to cast their ballots for candidates they really like, said advocate Saul Anuzis, a former Michigan GOP chairman, who added that the mechanism “doesn’t force people out early because of the potential for ‘wasted. votes.'”
Haley’s strategy
For Haley, the caucuses gave her another shot at a much-needed victory after double-digit losses in Iowa and New Hampshire.
The former South Carolina governor also did not participate in the Nevada caucus, and instead ran almost unopposed in the Silver State’s non-binding primary, meaning he was ineligible for representation there.
To reach voters, Haley participate in a Zoom call with the US Virgin Islands Republican Party the morning after the New Hampshire primary, and sent Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) to find it in person last month.
While USVI residents don’t get the personal touch from candidates that voters in Iowa and New Hampshire take for granted, Lennox said locals understand the challenging logistics.
“It was a full day to get here and it was a full day to get back. It is not easy to get here or island-hop across the Virgin Islands when you are a candidate,” he said.
“We will take Zoom’s reception for granted. Our journey is long, it is not easy to get here.”
Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign event in South Carolina. ERIK S LESSER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Haley has focused primarily on the threat of China’s growing influence when making her case to the island’s voters.
The US Virgin Islands “refers to its position in the Caribbean as the United States’ ‘third frontier,’ and opposing China is a top priority for voters in [US Virgin Islands],” a Haley campaign official told The Post. “Nikki understands the concern.”
Trump’s return visit
Not to be outdone, the former president has also sent key surrogates to the islands to push his candidacy, including Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Wesley Hunt (R-Texas).
It is an honor to act on behalf of President Trump in the US Virgin Islands.
This is a beautiful region filled with a strong sense of community. What I learned on the ground is that islanders are now affected by the same illegal immigration invasion that… pic.twitter.com/rTdIAgJeSB
— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) January 27, 2024
A person familiar with the Trump campaign in the USVI told The Post that they “feel optimistic” about the president’s chances for a 4th term, but added that Haley is working “very hard” to get a result.
“I imagine he put all his chips in the Virgin Islands basket that day to try and create momentum,” the person said.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is “taking what we think are necessary steps to do the best we can,” the source added. “I think we’ll have another replacement Zoom, some outreach before Election Day.”
Trump stands on stage during a campaign event at Big League Dreams Las Vegas on January 27. Getty Images
The campaign also intends to show island voters “the respect they deserve” by sending more surrogates to share Trump’s message in person, the source added.
Like voters everywhere, Virgin Islanders expect candidates to talk about “the interests of their parishes,” Lennox said.
They want “equal treatment” in federal programs and worry about a minimal Coast Guard, Border Patrol and Navy presence despite being surrounded by islands under significant “Chinese influence” to say nothing of illegal immigration and drug trafficking , he added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
