De Lugo, Ron, 1930-2020

Ron de Lugo (August 2, 1930 – July 14, 2020) was an American radio personality and politician. He notably served as the first Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 and from 1981 to 1995.

Born in Englewood, New Jersey, de Lugo attended Saints Peter and Paul School in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, before transferring to the Colegio San José in Puerto Rico. He enlisted in the army for a two-year tour in 1948, working as a program director for the U.S. Armed Forces Radio network. After leaving the military, de Lugo worked in broadcasting as a civilian, helping to found WSTA, the first radio station in St. Thomas. De Lugo gained island-wide fame for his radio persona, the wisecracking comedian Mango Jones, as well as for appearances in local plays and benefit concerts. In 1952 de Lugo used his radio show to revive the St. Thomas Carnival, a days-long celebration of the island’s cultural heritage. In 1955 de Lugo moved to St. Croix, where he won election to the Second Virgin Islands Legislature as an At-Large Democrat in 1956. The youngest member of the legislature, he embarked on a career of nearly four decades in Virgin Islands politics. In 1960 de Lugo won election as the territory’s representative to the Democratic National Committee. The following year, he took a break from the legislature when he was appointed by the territorial governor to act as a liaison for local concerns in St. Croix.

De Lugo returned to the legislature from 1962 to 1966. In 1968 Virgin Islanders elected de Lugo the territorial representative to the U.S. government. Essentially working as a lobbyist for issues affecting the Virgin Islands, de Lugo set his sights on winning a congressional seat for the territory. In 1972, legislation that provided for popularly elected Delegates for the Virgin Islands and Guam and De Lugo won the Democratic primary and general election. As a Delegate, De Lugo sought greater self-determination for the islands’ territorial government, and he won for the Virgin Islands’ legislature the right to determine procedure for filling vacancies. In 1978, de Lugo announced he would not seek re-election, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Juan Luis for territorial governor of the Virgin Islands. In 1980, de Lugo narrowly defeated his successor, Republican Mel Evans, to return to the House as Delegate from the Virgin Islands.

De Lugo’s seven terms in Congress during his second period of service, coupled with his three previous terms, made him the dean of the Territorial Delegates when Guamanian Delegate Antonio Won Pat retired in 1985. Moreover, his long service on the Territorial and Insular Affairs Subcommittee on the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee allowed him to take the helm of that subcommittee in 1987, and he held that position until he left the House. As chairman, de Lugo oversaw the political status and the budget for the Virgin Islands as well as those for all the other U.S. territories, thus enjoying a greater role shaping policy.

In 1994 de Lugo retired from politics, returning to the Virgin Islands. He was a resident of Saint Croix. De Lugo died in Miami, Florida less than a month before his 90th birthday.