Milton Potter is the next lieutenant governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Florida A&M University alumnus helped make history to get there. On Tuesday night, Potter and running mate Stacey Plaskett won the territory’s top two offices in a landslide. As a result, Plaskett becomes the first woman elected governor of the USVI.

Unofficial returns show the Democratic ticket with 11,865 votes, or about 62.8%. That total beat four independent tickets. Moreover, the pair dominated both early voting and Election Day.

For FAMU, the night got even bigger. Hours earlier, fellow Rattler Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor’s race in Georgia. Two FAMU grads are now headed into executive office on the same night.

A Landslide in the Territory

The Plaskett-Potter ticket replaces term-limited Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. Bryan congratulated both winners Tuesday night. In his official statement, he thanked voters and urged the incoming team to build on recent progress.

The general election capped a long campaign. Back on Aug. 1, the pair won a three-way Democratic primary with about 47% of the vote. They beat Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach and Sen. Novelle Francis Jr. They also topped former Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory and Rodney Moorehead.

Plaskett brings a decade in Washington. She has served as the territory’s delegate to Congress since 2015. Potter, meanwhile, brings deep roots in local government. That pairing became the core pitch of the campaign.

The win also carries national weight. Plaskett joins Bottoms as one of two Black women elected governor on the same night. Bottoms will lead a state, while Plaskett will lead a territory. Either way, Tuesday marked a turning point for Black women in executive office.

The Elections System of the Virgin Islands still has to finish its canvass and certify the results. Still, the margin leaves little doubt. The Virgin Islands Consortium has the full breakdown of the returns.

Milton Potter’s Road From Tortola to Lieutenant Governor

Potter was born on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. He moved to St. Thomas as a young child and grew up with seven siblings. His mother, Margaret, worked as a salesclerk. His father, Cecil, was a Port Authority firefighter.

Those parents pushed education hard. So Potter came up through Virgin Islands public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. Then he headed to Tallahassee.

At FAMU, he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He stayed for a master’s in school psychology. Afterward, he worked as a school psychologist and counselor across town at Florida State University.

Eventually, he brought those skills home. He counseled Virgin Islands students through the University of the Virgin Islands. Later, he served as director of the Division of Personnel from 2015 to 2019. He also led the V.I. Board of Education as executive director.

From Senate President to Second-in-Command

Potter won a seat in the Virgin Islands Legislature in 2020. He has represented the St. Thomas-St. John district since January 2021. Voters reelected him in 2022 and again in 2024.

His colleagues then elevated him. In January 2025, he became president of the 36th Legislature. Under his leadership, senators took on thorny issues like the government’s self-funded insurance plan. Now he trades the Senate gavel for the lieutenant governor’s office.

During the campaign, Potter focused on the territory’s banking, insurance and government systems. That focus fits the job. In the Virgin Islands, the lieutenant governor’s office oversees banking, insurance and financial regulation, along with property tax assessment and the recorder of deeds. Specifically, he called for more banking competition and better training for financial regulators. He also pushed for stronger employee development and more government accountability.

Plaskett, for her part, ran on turning federal dollars into results. Her agenda targets reliable electricity, modern hospitals, finished schools and affordable housing.

A Family Affair

Here’s a detail longtime Virgin Islands voters already know. Potter is not the first in his family to hold this job. His older brother, Osbert Potter, served as the territory’s 11th lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2019.

That gives the Potters a rare distinction: two brothers elected to the same territorial office. Osbert served under Gov. Kenneth Mapp. Now Milton will serve under Plaskett.

What Milton Potter’s Win Means for FAMU

FAMU’s alumni network just had a huge political night. In Georgia, Bottoms became the state’s first Black governor. In the Virgin Islands, Potter climbed to the territory’s second-highest office.

Both are products of Tallahassee. Both also spent years in local government before running for executive office. For more on the school’s alumni, check out our Florida A&M University coverage. You can also catch up on our Keisha Lance Bottoms coverage from election night.

What Comes Next

Plaskett and Potter take office on Jan. 4, 2027. That date falls on the first Monday of January, as the Revised Organic Act requires.

Between now and then, the transition begins. Residents expect quick progress on health care, disaster readiness and the cost of living. Those issues will test the new team early.

Because Potter gave up his Senate seat to run, the incoming 37th Legislature will also pick a new Senate president.

Stay with HBCU Buzz for continued coverage of Lieutenant Governor-elect Milton Potter as the new administration takes shape.