LIEUTENANT Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang are welcome to join the NMI Democratic Party’s selection process for the 2022 gubernatorial election, party chairwoman Nola Hix and vice chairman Danny Quitugua said in a media conference Tuesday.
Palacios and Apatang, who were elected as Republicans in 2018, may run for governor and lt. governor next year.
Hix said there are five individuals who have expressed interest to run for governor on the Democratic slate.
She declined to reveal the names of the five potential candidates as they have not yet submitted their letters of intent.
Hix said they have met with Palacios and Apatang and discussed the Democratic Party’s nomination process.
“We did welcome them to submit their letters of intent if they want to run under the Democratic Party — I am totally leaving that up to them,” Hix said.
Quitugua said he is hoping that all individuals who want to run on the Democratic slate next year are welcome to submit their letters of intent.
Asked if the party will hold a primary, Hix and Quitugua said based on CNMI political history, “It is not healthy, it is divisive.”
“When you have two people competing for one office and you have two camps [in one party] campaigning against each other, you divide the people rather than bringing them together. So we will come up with other methods” in choosing candidates, Quitugua said.
The last time the NMI Democratic Party won a gubernatorial election was in 1993.
NMI Democratic Party Chairwoman Nola Hix, right, and Vice Chairman Danny Quitugua, left, conduct a media conference at the Hyatt Regency Saipan’s Kili Café on Tuesday.
