Kenneth Ezra Mapp (born November 2, 1955) is an American politician who served as the eighth elected Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, from 2015 to 2019.

Mapp was an independent candidate for Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2006 and 2010,[2] but was defeated both times by Democrat John de Jongh.

[3] He ran in the 2014 gubernatorial election for Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, defeating Donna Christian-Christensen, the longtime Delegate to Congress, in a run-off.

Mapp moved to Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1961, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Almina N. Hewitt, in Estate Rattan.

The Public Finance Authority acquired its first ever investment grade ratings on VI government-backed securities during Mapp's tenure.

[2] In 2006, Mapp announced his candidacy for governor as an independent candidate with former Senator at Large Almando Liburd as his running mate.

[15] Mapp formally announced his candidacy for Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2010 gubernatorial election on August 20, 2010, at his headquarters on Saint Thomas.

[2] Mapp promised to construct a technical school, promote economic growth while protecting the environment and pursue cleaner forms of energy if elected.

[25] Mapp signed an executive order allowing same-sex marriage in the U.S. Virgin Islands following a U.S. Supreme Court's decision.

[29] In December 2015, Mapp began an agreement with ArcLight Partners, LLC, to operate the oil storage terminal of Hovensa refinery.

[30] Mapp implemented salary increases for government employees while his administration focused on raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.50 over a three-year period.

[31] Worked with Sinopec on St. Croix oil refinery and met with Air China officials to attract Chinese tourists to the territory.

[35] Within ten months of the storms, over 130 members of Congress led by then House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were in the USVI seeing firsthand of the devastation.

[36] Mapp was successful in persuading Congress and received bipartisan support for several unprecedented amendments to the Stafford Act as well as an estimated $9 billion of federal funds for the recovery and rebuilding of the territory.

Mapp recruited local and national nonprofit organizations to join the recovery effort, including the American Red Cross, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Kenny Chesney Foundation.

He also appealed help for the territory and received personnel and resources from his fellow governors Andrew Cuomo,[37] Chris Christie,[38] and Larry Hogan.

[41] Mapp offered free tuition to all local high school graduates attending the University of the Virgin Islands.