Kenneth Mapp

Kenneth Ezra "Ken" Mapp (born November 2, 1955) is an American politician who served as the eighth governor of the United States Virgin Islands, from 2015 to 2019. Though a registered Republican, Mapp was elected Governor in 2014 as an independent. From 1995 to 1999, Mapp served as the seventh lieutenant governor of the United States Virgin Islands, and had previously served for three terms in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands.

Mapp was an independent candidate for Governor in 2006 and 2010, but was defeated both times by Democrat John de Jongh. He was elected Governor in 2014, defeating Donna Christian-Christensen, the longtime Delegate to Congress, in a run-off election. Mapp ran for a second term in 2018, but was defeated in the runoff election by Democrat Albert Bryan.

Early life and education Kenneth Ezra Mapp was born on November 2, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York, to Al Mapp and Vashti Hewitt Mapp, both from St. Croix. He was one of four siblings. Mapp moved to Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1961, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Almina N. Hewitt, in Estate Rattan. He graduated from St. Croix Central High School in 1973.

Mapp has attended New York City Community College of City University of New York and the University of the Virgin Islands, but has not earned a bachelor's degree. After leaving office as lieutenant governor in 1999, however, he completed the six-week Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School (which has no formal educational requirements) and received a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Schneider and Mapp were elected Governor and Lt. Governor in a special gubernatorial runoff election held on November 22, 1994. 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.

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. Though he ran for lieutenant governor as independent, Mapp had changed his party affiliation from Republican by 2001. 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.

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.

Mapp's main campaign platform included reducing crime and improving education in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

2014 gubernatorial election 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. Mapp went on to win the run-off election, receiving almost 64% of the vote.

Political career Mapp was sworn in as the 8th elected Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands on January 5, 2015. Upon taking office, Mapp requested $1 million to file a lawsuit against Hovensa. He later signed legislation appropriating $1 million to further take legal action towards Hess Oil and PDVSA. To combat rising crime in the territory, Mapp formed alliance between the New York City Police Department and the Virgin Islands Police Department. In addition, VIPD officers were sent to New York for training and mentorship. Mapp signed an executive order allowing same-sex marriage in the U.S. Virgin Islands following a U.S. Supreme Court's decision. In July 2015, Mapp became a member of the NGA's Committee on Economic Development. His administration moved to sue HESS Corporation for $1.5 billion given the refinery immediate closure. Mapp created the Virgin Islands Climate Change Council through executive order. In December 2015, Mapp began an agreement with ArcLight Partners, LLC, to operate the oil storage terminal of Hovensa refinery.

Mapp implemented salary increases for government employees while his administration focused on raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.50 over a three-year period. Worked with Sinopec on St. Croix oil refinery and met with Air China officials to attract Chinese tourists to the territory. In February 2017, Mapp faced a government fiscal crisis with over $2 billion in debt and a structural deficit of $110 million. 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. 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. 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. 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, Chris Christie, and Larry Hogan.

Major capital projects funded by the federal government started under Mapp tenure, such as the Veterans Drive Improvement Project and the Bridge To NowHere. Mapp offered free tuition to all local high school graduates attending the University of the Virgin Islands.

Cabinet Chief of Staff Eugene FarrellRandolph "Randy" Knight (2015-2016) Chief Legal Counsel Emile Henderson III Director of Communications Kevin WilliamsSam ToppCherie MunchezNicole BollentiniKimberly Jones

Agency Commissioner/Director Department of Finance Clarina Modeste-Elliott (acting)Valdamier Collens (2015-2018) OMB Julio Rhymer Nellon Bowry (2015-2017) Department of Education Dionne Wells-Hendrington (acting)Sharon McCollum (2015-2018) Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation Calvert White (acting)Pedro Cruz (2015-2018) Department of Public Works Nelson Petty (2017-2019) Gustav James (2015-2017) Department of Justice Claude Walker Soraya Diase Coffelt (2015-2015) Department of Labor Averil George (2018-2019)Catherine Hendry, Esq (2015-2018) Bureau of Internal Revenue Marvin Pickering (2015-2019) Department of Property & Procurement Lloyd Bough Jr. (2017-2019)Timothy Lake (acting) Randolph Bennett (2015-2017) Virgin Islands Police Department Jason Marsh (acting)Delroy Richards (2015-2018) Department of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty (2007-2018) Department of Human Services Felicia Blyden (2017-2019)Anita RobertsVivian Ebbesen-FluddRichard Lacombe (acting) Department of Health Michelle Davis Department of Personnel Milton E. Potter (2015-2019) Bureau of Motor Vehicles Lawrence Olive (2015-2019) Virgin Islands Fire Department Clifford Joseph Office of Veteran Affairs Patrick Farrell (2015-2019) Bureau of Corrections Rick Mullgrav Department of Agriculture Carlos Robles (2015-2019) Department of Planning & Natural Resources Dawn Henry (2015-2019) Virgin Islands Energy Office Elmo Roebuck Jr. (2015-2019) Bureau of Information Technology Angelo Riddick (2016-2019)Jesus Caban (acting)Reuben Molloy (2015-2016) Office of Collective Bargaining Natalie Nelson Tang How (2016-2019)Joss Springette (acting) Dr. Valdemar A. Hill, Jr (2015-2015) VITEMA Mona Barnes (2015-2018) Department of Licensing & Consumer Affairs Devin Carrington (2015-2019) Law Enforcement Planning Commission Franz Christian Virgin Islands National Guard Deborah Howell (2015-2019)

Post-gubernatorial career In a 2023 deposition, Mapp stated he met with Jeffrey Epstein for lunch on Little St. James, while as governor. He also said Epstein never received special treatment from him and he was not aware of the late convicted sex offender crimes. On 30 January 2026, the U.S. Justice Department released documents where Mapp once suggested to Epstein if he would be interested in lending $275 million to the V.I. government in July 2016 and separately sought $50,000 to fund his PAC during the 2018 gubernatorial election.