Adlah Donastorg Jr.
Adlah Alphonso “Foncie” Donastorg, Jr. is a Virgin Islands politician who served as a senator in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands for seven terms, from January 1995 to January 2011. He later ran as a Democratic candidate for governor in the 2010 and 2014 elections.
Born on December 30, 1961, in Saint Thomas, Donastorg is the son of Josefina and Adlah Donastorg, Sr. He and his wife, Benedicta “Bennie” Acosta-Donastorg, have six children: Sean, Adlah, Vanessa, Erika, Adonte, and Amiel.
Education and early career: He started college at Mt. San Antonio College and Fullerton College from 1982 to 1983, then studied at the University of the Virgin Islands before earning a Bachelor of Science in business management from the University of Phoenix (2006–2009). He later earned a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University in 2017. In 2006, a report raised questions about a resume indicating a degree from Madison University, which was not accredited; Donastorg said his Madison online classes were challenging and he was unaware of the accreditation issue.
Political career: Donastorg was first elected to the Virgin Islands Legislature in 1994 and served seven terms. In 2006, he ran for governor as an Independent with running mate Dr. Cora Christian but was defeated by John de Jongh. He announced another bid for governor in July 2010 as a Democrat, with running mate Samuel Baptiste, focusing on crime reduction and challenging de Jongh in debates; however, he lost the Democratic primary to de Jongh (de Jongh 53%, Donastorg 47%).
Legal matters: On March 5, 2010, Donastorg was arrested in Saint Croix on charges related to a January 2010 alleged assault. He turned himself in, facing four counts of domestic violence. The accuser later recanted on March 9. The case went to trial, and on September 23, 2010, a twelve-member jury found Donastorg not guilty on all charges.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:19 (CET).