Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands v. Election System of the Virgin Islands
Summary
The District Court of the Virgin Islands denied a Motion to Intervene filed by three pro se prospective candidates (Shelley A.H. Moorhead, Collister M. Fahie, and Lorelei Monsanto) who sought to challenge whether the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands has legal capacity to bring suit regarding August 2026 primary elections. The Court found the Proposed Intervenors failed to demonstrate a direct, substantial, and legally protectable interest in the litigation and that their claimed injury regarding ballot access was too speculative to confer standing. This ruling preserves the underlying lawsuit concerning whether the Election System of the Virgin Islands must administer the Democratic Party's Election and Certification Plan for statutory primaries.
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What changed
The Court issued an order denying the Motion to Intervene filed by three pro se prospective candidates pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a)(2). The Proposed Intervenors argued they had standing as prospective candidates whose ballot access and candidacy rights would be affected by any ruling on the Democratic Party's claim that the Election System must implement the Party's primary election plan. The Court rejected this reasoning, finding that the speculative possibility of future candidacy-related harm does not constitute a direct, substantial, legally protectable interest sufficient to intervene as of right.\n\nFor affected parties, this ruling means prospective candidates cannot use the intervention mechanism to raise threshold challenges to party standing in election-administration disputes. Political organizations and election administrators in the Virgin Islands should note that federal courts in this jurisdiction will not permit speculative ballot-access injuries to confer intervention rights in cases between political parties and election officials.
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Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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April 22, 2026 Get Citation Alerts Download PDF Add Note
Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands v. Election System of the Virgin Islands
District Court, Virgin Islands
- Citations: None known
- Docket Number: 1:26-cv-00008
Precedential Status: Unknown Status
Trial Court Document
DISTRICT COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
DIVISION OF ST. CROIX
║
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE ║
VIRGIN ISLANDS, ║
║
Plaintiff, ║ 1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
║
v. ║
║
ELECTION SYSTEM OF THE VIRGIN ║
ISLANDS, RAYMOND J. WILLIAMS, in ║
His Official Capacity Chairman of ║
The BOARD OF ELECTIONS; and ║
CAROLINE F. FAWKES, in her ║
Official Capacity as SUPERVISOR ║
OF ELECTIONS, ║
║
Defendants. ║
________________________________________________ ║
TO: Peter James Lynch, Esq.
Ariel Marie Smith-Francois, Esq.
Shelley A.H. Moorhead, Pro Se
Collister M. Fahie, Pro Se
Lorelei Monsanto, Pro Se
ORDER
THIS MATTER
comes before the Court on the Motion to Intervene as of Right,
Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a), filed on April 17, 2026 purportedly by Shelley A.H.
Moorhead, Collister M. Fahie, and Lorelei Monsanto (the “Proposed Intervenors”), appearing
pro se. Dkt. No. 17. The Proposed Intervenors seek to appear in this action. The Court
ordered the parties to set forth their positions on the Motion to Intervene. Dkt. No. 28.
Plaintiff Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands (“DPVI”) filed an Opposition to the Motion,
Dkt. No. 32, and Defendants Election System of the Virgin Islands (“ESVI”), Raymond J.
Williams in his Official Capacity as Chairman of the Board of Elections (“VIBOE”), and
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
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Objection to the Motion to Intervene, Dkt. No. 31. For the reasons that follow, the Court will
deny the Motion to Intervene. BACKGROUND
I. The Complaint
On April 9, 2026, Plaintiff DPVI filed its Complaint seeking declaratory and injunctive
relief against the Defendants “to ensure that the Virgin Islands statutory senatorial,
congressional, and gubernatorial primary elections, scheduled for August 1, 2026, are
administered in accordance with local and federal law.” Dkt. No. 1 at 1-2. The DPVI alleges
that the Virgin Islands Code mandates that the aforementioned primary elections—the
statutory mechanism by which voters select partyId nominees—be held on the first Saturday
in August, which falls on August 1, 2026 this cycle . at 3. On October 24, 2025, DPVI adopted
an Election and Certification Plan for primary elections of Democratic cRaenpduibdlaictaens fNora ttihoonsael
Cafoomremmitetneeti ov.n Ve.dI. Bpooasritdi oonf sE, leccotniosnisstent with federal court guidance in
, 3:22-cv-0049. Id. at 4 & n.1; Ex. 1-1. On January 28, 2026,
DPVI announced that Plan to the ESVI and to VIBOE via its Chair and the Supervisor of
Elections, requesting a meeting to discuss coordination for its implementation for the 2026
primary elections; those entities did not respond substantively. Dkt. No. 1 ¶¶ 12, 13.
The Complaint further alleges that, on March 11, 2026, ESVI and the Supervisor of
Elections moved forward with preparations for the primary elections without DPVI’s Plan;
VIBOE,I ads policymaker for ESVI and director of the Supervisor of Elections, failed to redirect
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1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
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DIdefendants, and the Plan requires action to be taken at least two months before the primary.
. ¶¶ 17, 18. If not addressed by the Court, Defendants’ actions will deprive DPVI and voters
of freedom of associationI da.nd speech to select party candidates of their choice without
government interference. ¶ 19.
The Complaint alleges three counts: (1) a declaratory judgment confirming that the
current plan of Defendants for the primaries is unconstitutional, and that the DPVI is entitled
to have them administer the DPVI’s Plan for the August 2026 primary; (2) an injunction to
stop Defendants’ deprivation of Constitutional rights of political association; and (3) a
coercive injunction directing Defendants to implement the DPVI’s Plan. Dkt. No. 1 at 6-10.
On April 14, 2026, the DPVI filed an Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction.
Dkt. NoI.I 1. 2. ThTeh Dei sMtroictito Jnud tgoe I snette arv heenaeri ng for Thursday, April 23, 2026. Dkt. No. 13.
On April 17, 2026, the instant Motion to Intervene was filed. While the Motion was
purportedly filed on behalf of Shelley A.H. Moorhead, Collister M. Fahie, and Lorelie
Monsanto, all appearing pro se, only Mr. Moorhead signed the Motion. DktI.d N. o. 18. They move
to intervene as of right pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a)(2) in this action. Their position is
that, before the Court can reach the merits of the claims set forth in the DPVI’s Complaint, “a
threshold issue must be resolved: whether Plaintiff is a clearly identifiaIbdle juridical entity
with the legal capacity and authority to invoke this Court’s jurisdiction.” . at 1. They claim
that the “current record. . . does noItd .establish a single, continuous and clearly defined lmegaayl
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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directly affect Intervenors’ candidacies and ballot access rights, and because no existinIdg.
party adequately represents those interests, intervention as of right is warranted.”
(emphasis added).
The Motion to Intervene identifies the Proposed Intervenors as “prospective
candidates” Idfor Delegate (Mr. Moorhead) and the V.I. Legislature (Mr. Fahie and Ms.
Monsanto). . at 3. They claim that any ruling in the instant action will affect “candidate
access to the ballot; regulatory burdens imposed on candidates; and the relative position of
candidates across differing access pathways,” wIdhich provide them a direct, substantial, and
legally protectable interest in the litigation. ma.y According to the Proposed Intervenors,
disposition of the case without intervention “ ,” inter alia, “result in judicial recognition
of a plaintiff whose legal identity and authoIdr.ity are not established [and] impair Intervenors’
ability to protect their candidacy rights.” (emphasis added). They claim that no existing
party adequately represents their interests because, inter alia, “no party represents the
interests of candidates across independent and party-affiliated access paItdh.ways
simultaneously,” and no party has raised the threshold issue of juridical identity. at 4.
Through attachments to the Motion, thIed P. roposed Intervenors attempt to set forth issues
surrounding the DPVI’s legal identity. at 4-8. They indicate that they have submitted
applications to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for trade namIdes including “Democratic
Party of the Virgin Islands” that are under administrative review. . at 6-7.
The Proposed Intervenors seek to assert claims regarding: (1) Equal Protection
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
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Id.
and (4) Declaratory Relief. at 9. Other than naming the causes of action, they do not
explain the bases for them. They ask the Court to (1) grant their Motion to Intervene; (2)
require Plaintiff to “identify the precise legal entity bringing the action”; (3) require
production of documentation establishing corporate existence, continuity, governance
authority and authorization to fiIlde .suit; and (4) conduct threshold proceedings addressing
PlaintifIfI’sI .c apaDciPtyV Ia’ns dO sptpanodsiitnigo.n to a Mt 9o-t1i0o.n to Intervene
As indicated above, the Court issued an Order directing the parties to file their
responses to the Motion to Intervene. Dkt. No. 28. The Defendants filed a Notice of No
Objection, Dkt. No. 31, while the Plaintiff filed an Opposition, Dkt. No. 32.
In its Opposition, the DPVI raises numerous grounds warranting denial of the Motion
to Intervene. First, the motion is untimely. With the Complaint having been filed on April 9,
2026 and an Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction filed on April 14, 2026, with a
hearing imminent (April 23), intervention now would cause substantial prejudice by
disrupting the Court’s consideration of time-sensitive preliminary injunctive relief. Dkt. No
32 at 4. Second, the Proposed Intervenors have known of their claimed interests for months
if not years, given that the disputed identity of the Democratic Party has been contested since
the 2024 ruling by Judge Molloy (and a I1d9.64 Third Circuit case noting “longstanding
structural issues” in the Democratic Party). Further, the Proposed Intervenors filed their
trade name application with the Office of the Lt. Governor in mid-March 2026, weeks before
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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Intervenors were monitoring the party’s affairs (evidenced by the tradeI dn.ame application)
and were aware of the DPVI’s adoption of the Plan on October 24, 2025. at 5.
Next, the DPVI argues that the Proposed Intervenors fail to demonstrate a sufficient
interest, given that they identify as “prospective candidates,” not as registered members of
the DPVI, Iddeclared candidates, or individuals with any present legal relationship to the
litigation. . Speculation about future candidacy is insufficient, as there is no evideIdnce they
filed any nomination papers, paid any filing fees, or took steps toward candidacy. . at 5-6.
They fail to identify any concrete injury (such that they are barred from running for office or
their ballot access is threatened). In addition, political party internal processes do not create
rights for non-members; the First Amendment rIidghts belong to the DPVI as an organization,
not persons who are not members of the party. . at 6.
The DPVI further contends that the Proposed Intervenors will not be impaired by
disposition of the action because resolution will not change who may run for office or how
candidates qualify, as the V.I. Code establishes multiple pathways to the ballot. The only issue
in this action is whether the DPVI can exercise its constitutional right to select iItds own
nominees under its own procedures or if the government substitutes its processes. . at 7.
The constitutionalI vdiolation alleged does not burden candidates, and the DPVI Plan enhances
candidate access. . at 7-8. Moreover, the Proposed Intervenors’ issue is not that they will
be harmed by the outcome of this litigation but that they dispute the DPVI’s authority to
govern the Democratic Party’s internal affairs. However, party identity is not a valid basis for
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
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intervention; that is an argument to bIed raised by Defendants in responsive pleadings or a
motion to dismiss for lack of capacity. . at 8.
The DPVI next argues that the parties adequately represent the Proposed
Intervenors’ interests, as DPVI advocates for a clear, constitutionally sound, legal framework
for ballot access, and the Defendants are defending the statutory scheIdme that the Proposed
Intervenors appear to prefer (government-controlled nomination). . at 9. The Proposed
Intervenors do not allege that the parties are colluding or that counsel is incompetent; they
merely assert that “no existing party represents those interesItds” without any facts in support.
They have not shouldered their burden to show an interest. . at 10. The “threshold issues”
raised by the Proposed Intervenors are not grounds for intervention, since the DPVI’s
corporate iIddentity and capacity are defenses or jurisdictional objections that Defendants
may raise. . at 10-11.
The DPVI further contends that the Proposed Intervenors lack Article III standing to
participate in this action: they have not suffered and are not at imminent risk of suffering,
any concrete and particularized injury. Their alleged injury—that resoluIdtion of this action
may directly affect their candidacies—is speculative and attenuated. . at 11-12. Their
injuries are not traceable to this action’s disposition and cannot be redressed by any
judgment; they arise from territoIdrial election law, not from the Court’s enforcement of the
DPVI’s First Amendment Rights. . at 12.
Finally, the PropoIsded Intervenors’ threshold identity arguments are meritless and
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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party must have a corporate form. Citations to other entities, such as the Virgin Islands
Democratic Leadership CoIudncil, Inc. (referred to in Dkt. No. 18-2) is a separate organization
with distinct purposes. . The Federal Election Commission designation as “Party-
Nonqualified-Unauthorized” (found in Dkt. No. 18-3 at 1) reflects that DPVI has not met
certain technical/administrative fIedderal requirAelmexeanntds;e irt v d. oTeosd mnoatn negate DPVI’s territorial
existence or status under V.I. law. . at 14. The , 337 F.2d 962, 5 V.I. 137 (3d Cir. 1964) case involved rival factions asserting control over the party, which the ThiIrdd.
Circuit resolved through territorial political processes, not by disestablishing the party. id. Plaintiff reiterates that capacity to sue is properly raised by Defendants, not Intervenors,
at 15, and that the Democratic National Committee identified DPVI in a FebruaIrdy. 2025 Letter
(attached as Dkt. No. 32-1) as the only loDcIaSlC pUaSrStyIO oNrg anization it recognizes.
I. Legal Standards
A. Intervention under Fed. R. Civ. P. 24
Rule 24(a) governs intervention of right and provides:
On timely motion, the court must permit anyone to intervene who:
(1) is given an unconditional right to intervene by a federal statute; or
(2) claims an interest relating to the property or transaction that is the
subject of the action, and is so situated that disposing of the action may
as a practical matter impair or impede the movant's ability to protect
its interest, unless existing parties adequately represent that interest.
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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Fed. R. Civ. P. 24(a). If a party does not have an unconditional right to intervene by a federal
statute (which the Proposed Intervenors do not possess here), Third Circuit cSaesee ela.gw.
pUrnoitveidd eSst faotuesr cvo. nAdlcitainon As lfuomr ian pumar,t yIn tco. succeed on a motion to intervene as of right. , ,
, 25 F.3d 1174, 1181 (3d Cir. 1994). Specifically, a
proposed intervenor must demonstrate that
(1) the application for intervention is timely; (2) the applicant has a sufficient
interest in the litigation; (3) the interest may be affected or impaired, as a
practical matter by the disposition of the action; and (4) the interest is not
Id. adeBqruoadtye leyx r reepl.r Seusegnzdteindi sb yv .a Snp eaxnigsting party in the litigation. Harris v.
Per (ncsilteinyg , 957 F.2d 1108, 1115 (3d Cir. 1992), and
, 820 F.2d 59M2,o 5u9n6ta (in3 dT oCpi rC. o1n9d8o7. )A)s. s“'nE avc. Dh aovfe t Shteasbeb erertq Muiarsetmere Bnutsi ldmeur,s Itn bc.e met to
intervene as of right.” see also Michaels Stores, Inc. v. Castle Ridge Plaza Assocs. , 72 F.3d
361, 366 (3d Cir. 1995); , 6 F.Supp.2d
360, 364 (D.N.J. 1998) (“If an applicant fails to prove any one of these four factors,
inteBrv. eAntritoincl aes I IoIf Srtigahntd iisn pgr ecluded.”).
Town of Chester, N.Y. v. Laroe Estates, Inc
In ., 581 U.S. 433 (2017), the Supreme Court
addressed whether intervenors as of right under Rule 24(a) had to show Article III standing.
It first reiterated that standing doctrine required plaintiffs to “allege such a personal stake
in the outcomIed o. f the controversy as to justify the exercise of the court's remedial powers on
their behalf.” at 438 (citation modified). To establish Article III standing, the plaintiff must
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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Page 10 Id. the defendant, and (3) that is likely to be redressed by a favorable judicial decision.” at
438-39 (citation modified).
In that regard, a plaintiff “must demoIdn.strate standing for each claim he seeks to press
and for each form of relief that is sought.” at 439 (citation modified). The Court went on
to say:
The same principle applies to intervenors of right. Although the context is
different, the rule is the same: For all relief sought, there must be a litigant with
standing, whether that litigant joins the lawsuit as a plaintiff, a coplaintiff, or
an intervenor of right. Thus, at the least, an intervenor of right must
demonstrate Article III standing when it seeks additional relief beyond that
Id see walhsoic Wh tahyen ep lLaainntdi f&f r Meqinueersatsl .G rp., LLC v. Delaware R. Basin Comm’n
.; , 959 F.3d 569, 574 (3d Cir. 2020).
The Supreme Court has also required federal couSretes Stoin aodcdhreems sI nwt'hl eCtoh. evr. Mit ahlaasy ssiuab Ijnetc'tl
mShaipttpeirn jgu Criosrdpi.ction first, before it addresses the merits.
, 549 U.S. 422, 430–31 (2007) (“[A] federal court generally may not rule on the
merits of a case without first determining that it has jurisdiction over the category of claim
in suIIi.t (subAjepcpt-limcaatttioern j urisdiction).” (citation modified).
A. Initial Matter
As indicated above, although the Motion to Intervene was filed under the names of
Shelley A.H. Moorhead, Collister M. Fahie, and Lorelie Monsanto, only Mr. Moorhead signed
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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pleading, written motion, and other paper must be signed by at least one attorney of record
in the attorney’s name—or by a party personally if the party is unrepresented.” Fed. R. Civ.
P. 11(a). Thus, each unrepresented person must sign a written motion. While district courts
are counseled to liberally construe pro se pleadings, all parties—even those appearing pro
se—“cannMota fllao uv.t Cprroowcend Buarya lM rualreins a–, tIhnecy must abide by the same rules that apply to all other
litigants.” ., 704 F.3d 239, 245 (3d Cir. 2013). Further, a person
aSepep eMacrCinagin p vr.o A sber amhaaym represent him or herself; that person cannot represent someone else.
, 337 F. App’x 141, 142 (3d Cir. 2009) (“A pro se litigant who is not an
attorney may not represent someone else in federal court.”).
Accordingly, since Mr. Moorhead, Mr. Fahie, and Ms. Monsanto are unrepresented in
this Court, they were each required to sign the motion. Only Mr. Moorhead signed the motion.
Since Mr. Moorhead, appearing pro se, cannot represent Mr. Fahie or Ms. Monsanto, his
signature on the Motion authorized only him to seek relief. The Court therefore considers
the MotBio. nS ttoa nIndtienrgv etnoe I naste prrvoepneer ly seeking relief only on behalf of Mr. Moorhead.
The relief sought by Plaintiff DPVI in the instant lawsuit falls under the First
Amendment. It seeks a declaration that the current Plan of Defendants for the upcoming
primaries is unconstitutional; an injunction to stop Defendants from depriving it of the right
to political association; and an injunction directing Defendants to implement DPVI’s Plan.
Dkt. No. 1. On the other hand, Mr. Moorhead, as a proposed intervenor, seeks to assert the
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
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As-Applied Constitutional Challenge; and Declaratory Relief. Dkt. No. 18 at 9. He does not
explain anything about the basis for these claims, and the Motion to Intervene does not shed
any light on these claims either. What is cleTaorw, hno owf eCvheers,t iesr ,t hNa.Yt .h, e is seeking “additional relief
beyond that which the plaintiff requests.” 581 U.S. at 439. Although Mr.
Moorhead mentions “First Amendment” as one of his proposed claims for relief, it could not
be the same First Amendment relief that the DPVI is seeking on its own behalf to vindicate
its own constitutional rights in relation to the Plan. As a result, Mr. Moorhead must
demonstrate Article III standing as an intervenor to pursue all of the relief he seeks, which is
in addition to the relief that the DPVI seeks. This he cannot do.
An injury in fact is “an invasion of a legally protected interest which is (a) cLounjcarne tve.
aDnedfe npdaerrtisc oufl aWriizldeldif; eand (b) actual or imminent, not conjectural or hypothetical.”
, 5T0ra4n UsU.Sn. i5o5n5 L, L5C6 0v. (R1a9m9i2r)e z(citation modified). A concrete injury means
it is real, not abstract. , 141 S. Ct. 2190, 2204 (2021). “For Sapno iknejuo rvy.
tRoo bbbei npsarticularized, it must affect the plaintiff in a personal and individual way.”
, 578 U.S. 330, 339 (2016) (citation modified). Regarding the “actual or imminent”
requirement, a claim of future injury can be “immineSnuts”a inf tBh. eArnet hiso nay “ Lsiusbt svt. aDnrtiieahl aruissk” or
“realistic danger” that the threaCtelanpepde hr avr. mA mwnilel sotcyc Iunrt.' l USA , 573
U.S. 149, 158 (2014) (quoting , 568 U.S. 398, 414 n.5 (2013)).
Although an injury that will occur in Cthleem feuntus rve. Eisx encoutP hfaatraml tIon cs.tanding, the risk of injury
cannot be hypothetical or speculative, R,e 4il8ly F v.4. tChe r1i4d6ia, n1 5C3o r(p3d Cir.
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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Lujan
F.3d 38, 42 (3d Csiere. 2W01h1it)m, aonrde tvh. rAeraktaennseads injury must be “certainly impending.” , 504
U.S. at 564 n.2; , 495 U.S. 149, 155 (1990) (explaining that the
imminence requirement “ensures that courts do not entertain suits based on speculative or
hypothetical harms.”).
Here, Mr. Moorhead’s purported injuries are not concrete and particularized. They
are not actual or imminent. Rather, they are conjectural and hypothetical. The Motion to
Intervene does not allege that Mr. Moorhead (or the other two proposed intervenors) are
even current candidates in the upcoming August 2026 primary; they identify themselves as
“prospective candidates in the 2026 election cycle.” Dkt. No. 18 at 2-3. They do not assert
that they are members of the Democratic Party, or that they have filed nomination papers,
paid any filing fees, been excluded from any ballot, or that the DPVI or the Defendants have
denied them any benefit or contravened any right they may have. The Motion to Intervene
does not indicate that they face any fines, penalties, or other negative consequences from
any of the parties in this action. Rather, themira yarticulation of their alleged injury is that
disposition of this case without intervention “ impair Intervenors’ ability to protect their
candidacy rights.” Dkt. No. 18 at 3 (emphasis added). This vague, non-particularized, and
speculative assertion is couched as a conditional injury, something that may (or may not)
occur at some unspecified time imposed by an unspecified entity based on the undetermined
results of this case. This pSuerep Corlatepdp eirnjury does not suffice as an Article III injury in fact to
confer Article III standing. , 568 U.S. at 409-10 (“[A]n asserted hypothetical injury
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
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Page 14
F inkelman v. National Football League
, 810 F.3d 187, 194 (3d Cir. 2016) (plaintiffs do not
allege an injury in fact when they rely on “mere speculation”).
Moreover, the Motion to Intervene does not satisfy the two other standing
requirements of whether the Proposed Intervenors’ injury is fairly traceable to the
challenged conduct of the Defendants, and whether that injury will be redressed by a
favorable decision. Rather, the Proposed Intervenors focus primarily on what they view as a
“threshold issue” of the Plaintiff not having the capacity to sue and ask the Court to take a
detour from addressing Plaintiff’s constitutional claims to resolve that question. But the
Proposed Intervenors never articulate how resolution of that question (which may or may
not arise in Defendants’ response to the Complaint) will impact their “ability to protect their
candidacy rights.” Nor is it apparent how a favorable decision for the DPVI—that would
confirm the DPVI’s Plan, stop implementation of the government’s election plan, and direct
the Defendants to implement the DPVI’s Plan—would redress their injuries (particularly
when they view the DPVI as illegitimate). Although they seek “judicial determinations”
regarding the “structure of election administration, the recognition and authority of political
parties, and the legal framework governing ballot access,” Dkt. No. 18 at 3, the fact that this
litigation may touch upon those general aspirations does not concomitantly show that their
alleged injuries will be redressed in this litigation.
Accordingly, the Court concludes that Mr. Moorhead, as the only Proposed Intervenor
who has properly appeared before this Court, has not demonstrated Article III standing. That
Democratic Party of the V.I. v. Election System of the V.I.
1:26-cv-00008-RAM-EAH
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Page 15
is fatal to the Motion to Intervene, and the Court therefore need not and does not reach the
additional arguments against interventCioOnN pCuLtU foSrIOthN b y the DPVI in its Opposition.
ORDERED
Accordingly, it is hereby : DENIED.
1. The Motion to Intervene as of Right, Dkt. No. 18, is
2. The Clerk of Court shall send a copy of this Order to the three Proposed Intervenors
via certified mail, return receipt requested.
ENTER:
Dated: April 22, 2026 /s/ Emile A. Henderson II I
EMILE A. HENDERSON III
U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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