Republican Party of the Virgin Islands
The Republican Party of the United States Virgin Islands is a political party in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and is affiliated with the Republican Party at the national level.
John Canegata is the party chairman. Lilliana Belardo de O'Neal, a former member territorial Legislature, and Jevon Williams serve on the Republican National Committee as national committeewoman and national committeeman respectively.History
Founded in 1948 as a committee under the leadership of Roy Gordon, it was the successor to the Republican Club of the Virgin Islands founded by Adolph Achille Gereau in 1924.
Melvin H. Evans, who was the territory's first elected governor, was a Republican. He later served in Congress.
Former Governor Kenneth Mapp had been a Republican member of the Virgin Islands Legislature, but was elected to the territorial governorship as an independent. Previously the lieutenant governor, he was the Republican nominee for Congress in 1996.Under national Republican Party rules, the Virgin Islands sends nine delegates to the Republican National Convention.
