Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Luce D. Hodge-Smith not expecting D4 to be ‘handed over on a silver platter’

Luce D. Hodge-Smith not expecting D4 to be ‘handed over on a silver platter’

Political aspirant Mrs Luce D. Hodge-Smith says she still has her eyes set on the possibility of being
a representative for the Fourth District when current representative Hon Mark H. Vanterpool retires from politics.
Vanterpool takes D4 in winning streak


Back in the 2019 General Elections in the VI, Hodge-Smith’s 385 total votes, although a significant amount as a Virgin Islands Party (VIP) candidate for District 4, were not enough to trump Hon Vanterpool’s 442 votes under the National Democratic Party (NDP).

Hon Vanterpool has recently announced; however, he is exiting the life of politics and will not contest for office again.

The veteran legislator had resigned then retracted his resignation after winning the Fourth District seat in 2019; however, this time the former Minister of Communications and Works said he will have no change of heart regarding the decision following a promise he made to his family.

Work still has to be done - Hodge-Smith


Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) on a recent Fourth District back-to-school charity programme, Mrs Hodge-Smith, when questioned about Vanterpool’s exit and what that means for her political career; said although the legislator will retire, she recognises that the work still has to be done in order to take the seat.

“You can’t take it for granted, we still have to show that interest… you can’t expect that it will be handed over on a silver platter. I still have to work, earn the constituents’ trust and their support,” she told VINO.

“The fact that Mr Vanterpool has indicated that he is no longer going to contest the elections doesn’t mean that it’s an automatic for me,” Mrs Hodge-Smith further said.

The Fourth District Representative hopeful indicated that some of the work will include letting the people of the district know she is serious and interested in being the next representative for the area, as she laid out some of her plans for the district.

Plans for the district


According to Mrs Hodge-Smith, she intends to clean up and beautify the Fourth District, given that it is the capital and the representation of the people of the territory.

Most importantly she said, people will be placed first under her representation to help and empower citizens with whatever issues and challenges they face.

“There are some folks out there, they need jobs, they need assistance with jobs… and they need to know how to keep those jobs with training on how to get those jobs,” she said.

People first approach


Mrs Hodge-Smith also said she intends to incubate entrepreneurial aspirations in the district, especially in women in the area and others who have products to showcase and take to market.

She also touched on the need for the refurbishment of local recreational areas such as the local basketball courts, which she says will form part of her immediate plans to assist and get facilities up and running in a safe manner with good lighting.

Her ultimate goal, she underscored, is to be there for the people, deal with the issues as they come, and 'just don’t stop' until issues are resolved, and matters are addressed in collaboration with the people.

“But the main thing is to be accessible to the people when they call, as much as you can, you answer their calls and you meet with them and you help them to help themselves,” Hodge-Smith said.

Back in the 2019 General Elections in the VI, Hodge-Smith’s 385 total votes as a Virgin Islands Party candidate for District 4 was not enough to trump the incumbent Mark H. Vanterpool’s 442 votes under the National Democratic Party (NDP).

The Fourth District encompasses Road Town, the capital city of the Virgin Islands.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×