By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

FORMER Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente on Wednesday said he will run for one of Precinct 1’s six seats in the House of Representatives.
Benavente served as speaker from 1994 to 2000 as one of the two representatives of Saipan’s Precinct 2.
He said he submitted his letter of intent to the Republican Party as early as Jan. 2.
Some GOP precinct club officials said former Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider and his running-mate in the 2005 gubernatorial elections, former Rep. David M. Apatang, have also expressed an intention to run.
Hofschneider told his supporters last week in Garapan that he will be a candidate in Precinct 3, while Apatang has submitted his letter of intent to Precinct 1 officers.
But in an interview on Wednesday, Apatang said he was “still thinking about it.”
Hofschneider had not returned this reporter’s call as of press time last night.
Benavente was the running mate of then-Gov. Juan N. Babauta in the 2005 elections, while Hofschneider and Apatang ran on an Independent slate.
Both tandems narrowly lost to the Covenant Party’s Benigno R. Fitial and Timothy Villagomez.
Hofschneider-Apatang won on Saipan but lost by 99 votes to Fitial-Villagomez.
Incumbents GOP Reps. Martin B. Ada, Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, and Manuel A. Tenorio and Ralph Torres have also submitted letters of intent to the party’s Precinct 1 officers.
The Precinct 3 club’s deadline for the submission of letters of intent is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27.
Precincts 1 and 4, according to GOP secretary Kimo M. Rosario, already have a list of candidates for representatives, but the final selection will be made by the GOP board of directors and precinct leaders.