Stacey Plaskett made history last night. The Governor-elect became the first woman elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, winning with a decisive 62.8 percent of the vote. Her career trajectory—from private consulting and the Department of Justice to Congress and now the territorial helm—offers a glimpse into how Stacey Plaskett built the foundation to lead.
This wasn’t her first time making headlines. In 2023, she became the first delegate from a territory appointed as a ranking member of a select committee when Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries tapped her for the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The appointment signaled growing influence on Capitol Hill.
The 2021 Impeachment
When President Donald Trump faced his second impeachment in 2021, Plaskett stood among the nine House impeachment managers tasked with building the case. She didn’t shy away from the gravity of the moment. “Donald J. Trump has been and continues to be a clear and present danger to our republic, to our constitution, and to the people of this nation,” she wrote in a statement released that January. “I will do my duty and defend our blessed country.”
Building Black Innovation
Beyond criminal proceedings, Plaskett has pushed for economic opportunity within Black communities. She co-founded and co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Black Innovation, which launched in April 2022. At their inaugural Washington event, she spoke plainly about what’s at stake: “We all know once Black people get ahold of something, it becomes something completely different. Failure to support Black innovators stunts economic growth for everyone, for all Americans, for our world.”
The Foundation
Plaskett’s path to the governor’s mansion began with rigorous preparation. She earned her bachelor’s in history and diplomacy from Georgetown University, then her law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 1994. Before entering Congress in 2015, she worked as counsel at Mitchell Madison Group, served at the U.S. Department of Justice, and held positions within the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority.
Beyond the Headlines
While her career has centered on advocacy and public service, Plaskett is also a mother of five—four adult sons and a younger daughter. She’s married to Jonathan Buckney-Small, whose background in territorial planning and economic development mirrors her own commitment to the islands. That dual focus on family and public good shapes how she’s likely to approach the governorship.
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