ST. THOMAS — A gubernatorial candidate in St. Thomas being billed as someone who will upend the current race for governor and emerge as a front-runner, will announce his bid today somewhere on the waterfront in St. Thomas, across from the Seaborne Airlines seaplane terminal.
The Consortium was contacted two weeks ago about this candidate, and the publication will be at the event providing political coverage, including livestreaming.
But those behind the candidate were so shrouded in secrecy that they refused to tell this publication who the candidate was, fearing that the name would be leaked before the set announcement date. (For the record, The Consortium keeps a high standard of confidentiality, and would not have leaked the name if we were asked not to.)
On Saturday, however, The Consortium learned that this candidate is Allison “Allie” Petrus, a former senator and well-known businessman in St. Thomas, whose assets spread far and wide. At least one billboard in St. Thomas with Mr. Petrus is said to be up, and another, near the Emile Griffith Park, will be unveiled today — a signal that the candidacy is no longer secret.
The politically connected in St. Thomas were left flabbergasted by Mr. Petrus’s move, with many agreeing that the surprise was well played, as it left many of the politically astute out of the loop up until the eve of the event.
Two flyers have been making the rounds in St. Thomas, one that says, “Allison “Allie” Petrus for Governor 2018″, and another featuring Spectrum Band as performers at today’s event. Both flyers include the same logo, which shows multiple hands of different colors joining together, suggesting that the flyers are one and the same.
The Consortium will bring live coverage of the announcement on our Facebook platform, and we hope to have a moment with Mr. Petrus following the announcement for some questions. It all starts at 4:00 p.m. with a live performance from Spectrum Band.
Tags: allison petrus, election 2018, governor, heating up, st croix, st thomas, us virgin islands