Vanterpool received 39 votes in the chairmanship race, while Penn secured 65 votes to retain the position. Ronnie W. Skelton, also contesting the post, received 17 votes.

In a letter dated April 9 addressed to the former Interim Chair of the NDP John Cline, Vanterpool questioned the delegate selection process, raising concerns about whether it was conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution. His concerns were outlined in correspondence to party leadership prior to the convention and later became public.

According to Cline, in the days after the vote, Vanterpool took several actions including removing party branding from his campaign vehicle, returning keys to an office he had provided for the party’s use, and criticizing the internal process.

Former interim chairman John Cline rejected the claims during a live Facebook broadcast on April 23, stating that the process followed party rules and that candidates had no role in selecting delegates.

“To suggest there was something unfair at the convention level is irresponsible,” Cline said. “No candidate has any right to select delegates — that is the sole responsibility of the district associations.”

Cline emphasized that the outcome reflected the will of the delegates.

“It’s a competition,” he said. “One hundred and twenty-one persons made a decision, and that decision must be respected.”

Vanterpool’s departure marks the third time he has moved away from the party, underscoring a political career that has included shifts between the NDP and the Virgin Islands Party. He was first elected in 1999 with the NDP before crossing the floor in 2001. He later returned to the NDP, winning a seat in 2011 and serving as Minister for Communications and Works.

Cline referenced that history in his remarks, noting that participation in the process does not guarantee a result.

“You don’t get to pick people like you want,” he said. “It’s a democratic process.”

Vanterpool has not announced his next political move, but his actions following the convention have raised questions about his future role within the NDP and in territorial politics.

The NDP has maintained that the convention was conducted in accordance with its constitution and has indicated that it will now shift focus toward rebuilding and preparing for the next general election.

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