Donald Trump achieved another unexpected victory at a Republican caucus in the US Virgin Islands, despite officials violating GOP regulations by scheduling the contest ahead of schedule.
Marking the third Republican contest this election season with delegates at stake, Trump clinched an overwhelming 73.98% of the votes, leaving Nikki Haley trailing with 26.02%.
Expressing gratitude via a phone call to the attendees gathered in St. Thomas, Trump remarked, “I want to thank you all. We had a tremendous victory. We expected to win, but we didn’t expect to win by that much. You are incredible people I will never forget.”
Voters across St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John cast their nominations using ranked-choice voting, congregating at diverse venues including a rum bar.
Despite unfavorable weather conditions, turnout remained robust, as evidenced by the sentiments of Valerie Stiles, a 71-year-old retail worker from St. Croix, who commended the early caucus timing before Super Tuesday.
Trump’s Dominance and Other Contenders
Reflecting on the significance of the US territories’ involvement in the nomination process, Gordon Ackley, chairman of the Republican Party in the Virgin Islands, emphasized the need for their voices to be heard, stating, “Every state and every territory should try to make itself and its voters as relevant as possible.”
While Trump dominated the ballot, the presence of candidates such as Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Perry Johnson, and Vivek Ramaswamy added variety to the proceedings. However, only Trump and Haley remain contenders in the race.
Despite accusations of flouting GOP regulations, officials in the US Virgin Islands defended their decision, asserting that they acted within existing rules to ensure proportional delegate allocation.
Plans are underway to dispatch delegates to the upcoming Republican National Convention in July, although discrepancies persist regarding the exact number of delegates allotted. With Trump’s victory in the US Virgin Islands, the Republican presidential race intensifies, further shaping the trajectory of the forthcoming elections.
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