Kenneth Ezra Mapp (born November 2, 1955) is an American politician who served as the eighth elected Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, from 2015 to 2019. He is registered Republican,[1] but ran as an independent.
Mapp was elected as a senator in the Virgin Islands Legislature in three separate elections.[2] Mapp was elected to the 15th Legislature of the Virgin Islands[2] in 1982, his first elected office. He would later be elected as a senator in the 18th and 20th Legislatures as well. He chaired the Committee on Public Safety and Judicial Affairs and was a standing member on the Committee on Finance.[2]
Additionally, Mapp held other positions within the Virgin Islands government. He served as the assistant director of the Industrial Development Commission, which later became the Economic Development Authority.[2] Mapp also became the director of the Consumer Services Administration, which is now the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs.[2]
In 1994, gubernatorial candidate Roy L. Schneider chose Mapp as his running mate for lieutenant governor in the election.[2] Schneider and Mapp jointly campaigned as independent candidates.[10] Schneider and Mapp were elected Governor and Lt. Governor in a special gubernatorial runoff election held on November 22, 1994.[10] They defeated the Democratic gubernatorial ticket, which consisted of then-Lt. Gov. Derek M. Hodge and his running mate, Alfred O. Heath.[10]
Governor Roy Schneider and Lt. Governor Kenneth Mapp were inaugurated to a four-year term on January 2, 1995.[10] However, Schneider and Mapp had a publicly strained relationship while in office and the two often did not speak to one another during their four-year tenure.[11] Schneider and Mapp did not seek re-election in 1999. Instead, Schneider ran with Finance Commissioner Juan Centeno as his running mate and they were defeated in the election by Democratic candidate Charles Turnbull and his running mate, Gerard Luz James, who were sworn in on January 4, 1999.[12]
After leaving office as lieutenant governor, Mapp earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP 159) at Harvard Business School.[13] Though he ran for lieutenant governor as independent, Mapp had changed his party affiliation from Republican by 2001.[13] Mapp did not run for governor in 2002.[13] He campaigned for Governor Turnbull who was re-elected to a second term.
In 2002, Governor Charles Turnbull appointed Mapp as the Virgin Island's Public Finance Authority's Director of finance and administration. Mapp raised millions of dollars for the government and Hovensa, the territory's largest private sector employer. The Public Finance Authority acquired its first ever investment grade ratings on VI government-backed securities during Mapp's tenure. Mapp also managed several major capital projects and served on the Governor's financial and budget team. Mapp participated in budget hearings and prepared a variety of detailed analysis and reports. The Governor's financial team worked closely with department heads and legislators to develop and gain legislative approval of the annual territorial budgets.[2]
In 2006, Mapp announced his candidacy for governor as an independent candidate with former Senator at Large Almando Liburd as his running mate. His two main opponents were businessman John De Jongh and Senator Adlah Donastorg. In the general election, de Jongh won 15,914 votes which equalled 49.33% of the total vote, Mapp won 9,100 of the total votes (equalling 26.78 percent) and Donatorg earned 7,871 votes, or 23.16 percent of the votes cast.[14] De Jongh and Mapp, the two top candidates in terms of votes, were forced into a second runoff election on November 21, 2006, since no candidate earned more than 50% of the total votes cast.[14] In the 2006 gubernatorial runoff, De Jongh was elected Governor with 16,644 votes (57.30%), while Mapp came in second, garnering 12,402 votes (42.70%).[15]
2010 gubernatorial election
Mapp formally announced his candidacy for Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2010 gubernatorial election on August 20, 2010, at his headquarters on Saint Thomas.[2] Mapp, who is running as an Independent rather than a Republican, picked Malik Sekou, a professor and department chair at the University of the Virgin Islands, as his running mate for lieutenant governor.[2][16]
Mapp's main campaign platform included reducing crime and improving education in the Virgin Islands.[2] Mapp promised to construct a technical school, promote economic growth while protecting the environment and pursue cleaner forms of energy if elected.[2] The general election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent governor John de Jongh defeated Mapp in the election to win a second term in office.[3] De Jongh earned 17,535 votes, or 56.27% of the vote, while Mapp came in second with 13,580 votes, or 43.58% of the vote.[3] Mapp initially refused to concede, citing possible voting irregularities and the advice from his campaign advisor.[17]
2014 gubernatorial election
Campaign slogan: It’s Time To Build
Mapp ran for Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2014 gubernatorial election, choosing Osbert Potter, a former Virgin Islands senator as his running mate. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. He received 47.47% of the vote, but since no candidate received the required 50%+1 as required by the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands, a runoff was held between him and Donna Christian-Christensen, the two top vote receivers. The runoff was held on November 18, 2014, two weeks after the general election.[18] Mapp went on to win the run-off election, receiving almost 64% of the vote.[4]
2018 gubernatorial election
Campaign slogan: Building Stronger and Smarter
Mapp ran for reelection but lost with 44.67 percent of the vote to Albert Bryan's 55.04 percent in a run-off election.[19][20]
Political career
Mapp was sworn in as the 8th elected Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands on January 5, 2015.[21] Upon taking office, Mapp requested $1 million to file lawsuit against Hovensa.[22] He later signed a bill which appropriate $1 million to further take legal action towards Hess Oil and PDVSA.[23] To combat rising crime in the territory, Mapp formed alliance between the New York City Police Department and the Virgin Islands Police Department.[24] In addition, VIPD officers were sent to New York for training and mentorship.[25] Mapp signed executive order allowing same-sex marriage in the U.S. Virgin Islands following a U.S. Supreme Court's decision.[26] In July 2015, Mapp became a member of the NGA's Committee on Economic Development.[27] His administration moved to sue HESS Corporation for $1.5 billion given the refinery immediate closure.[28] Mapp created the Virgin Islands Climate Change Council through executive order.[29] In December 2015, Mapp began agreement with ArcLight Partners, LLC, to operate the oil storage terminal of Hovensa refinery.[30]
Mapp implemented salary increases for government employees while his administration focused on raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.50 in three years.[31] Worked with Sinopec on St. Croix oil refinery and met with Air China officials to attract Chinese tourists to the territory.[32] In February 2017, Mapp faced a government fiscal crisis with over $2 billion in debt and a structural deficit of $110 million.[33] Mapp provided the federal Medicaid program to all eligible Virgin Islands residents, giving vital health care access to many families who lacked health insurance and access to basic health care services.[34] On September 5, 2017, Mapp declared a state of emergency in preparations for Hurricane Irma which was followed by Hurricane Maria thirteen days later. He met President Donald Trump on a ship off Puerto Rico.[35] Within ten months of the storms, over 130 members of Congress led by then House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were in the USVI seeing firsthand of the devastation.[36] Mapp was successful in persuading Congress and received bipartisan support for several unprecedented amendments to the Stafford Act as well as an estimated $9 billion of federal funds for the recovery and rebuilding of the territory. Mapp recruited local and national nonprofit organizations to join the recovery effort, including the American Red Cross, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Kenny Chesney Foundation. He also appealed help for the territory and received personnel and resources from his fellow governors Andrew Cuomo,[37]Chris Christie[38] and Larry Hogan.[39]
Major capital projects funded by the federal government started under Mapp tenure such as the Veterans Drive Improvement Project[40] and the Bridge To NowHere.[41] Mapp offered free tuition to all local high school graduates attending the University of the Virgin Islands.[42]
Epstein saga
In June 2023, court filings by JP Morgan showed that Mapp visited Little Saint James to have lunch with Jeffrey Epstein in September 2015.[43] During a May 24 deposition, Mapp stated that he has been introduced to Epstein at his 2014 campaign but was not aware that he was convicted of a sex crime.
