| Kenneth Mapp | |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands | |
| In office January 2, 1995[1] – January 4, 1999 |
|
| Governor | Roy L. Schneider |
| Preceded by | Derek M. Hodge |
| Succeeded by | Gerard Luz James |
| Personal details | |
| Born | ? Brooklyn, New York |
| Political party | Independent[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothea C.A. Mapp |
Kenneth E. Mapp (born 1954/1955) is a United States Virgin Islanders politician. A former Virgin Islands Senator, Mapp served as the Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1995 until 1999. Most recently, Mapp was an independent candidate for Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2010 gubernatorial election, [2] but was defeated by incumbent Governor John de Jongh.[3]
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Mapp was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Alfred Mapp and Vashti Hewitt Mapp. He was one of five siblings. Mapp moved to Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1961, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Almina Hewitt, in Estate Rattan. He graduated from St. Croix Central High School in 1973.
Mapp has attended New York City Community College and received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of the Virgin Islands. He received a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University[2] after leaving office as Lt. Governor in 1999. Mapp also completed other fellowships at Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.[2]
Mapp has worked as a police officer in both New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[2] He joined the New York City Police Department soon after graduating from high school in 1973, based in the 83rd Precinct Police in Brooklyn. He later became a police officer in the Virgin Islands and was elected president of the Virgin Islands Police Benevolent Association.
Mapp was elected as a Senator in the Virgin Islands Legislature in two 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 20th Legislature as well.[2]
Additionally, Mapp held other poistions within the Virgin Islands government. He served as the assistant director of the Industrial Development Commission, which later became the Economic Development Commission.[2] Mapp also became the director of the Consumer Services Administration, which is now called 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.[1] Schneider and Mapp were elected Governor and Lt. Governor in a special gubernatorial runoff election held on November 22, 1994.[1] They defeated the Democratic gubernatorial ticket, which consisted of then Lt. Gov. Derek M. Hodge and his running mate, Alfred O. Heath.[1]
Governor Roy Schneider and Lt. Governor Kenneth Mapp were inaugurated to a four-year term on January 2, 1995.[1] 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.[4] Still, Schneider and Mapp sought re-election in 1999 on the same ticket. Schneider was defeated in the election by Democratic candidate Charles Turnbull and his running mate, Gerard Luz James, who were sworn in on January 4, 1999.[5]
After leaving office as Lt. Governor, Mapp earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[6] Though he ran for Lt. Governor as an independent, Mapp had changed his party affiliation to a Republican by 2001.[6] Mapp initially announced his intention to run for governor in 2002.[6] His campaign proved unsuccessful and Governor Turnbull 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.[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.[7] 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.[7]
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%).[8]
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 Lt. Governor.[2][9]
Mapp's main campaign platform included reducing crime and improving education in the Virgin Islands.[2] Mapp promised to constructed a new 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 advise from his campaign advisor.[10]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Derek M. Hodge |
Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands January 2, 1995–January 4, 1999 |
Succeeded by Gerard Luz James |
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