Over a hundred people attended the dinner held at the Pacific Islands Club’s Charley Cabaret on Wednesday night.
Board of Education member Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero was named chairman of his uncle’s committee to elect.
He was former Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s running mate in the 2009 gubernatorial primary. Babauta ran against Sablan last year and is reportedly interested in running again next year.
Deleon Guerrero said Sablan has brought people together.
He said Sablan “has fought hard to bring some certainties and he really took a stand on issues even when it was not politically popular.”
Sablan, he added, “works really hard for our commonwealth and for our people. When I say people I mean everyone in the commonwealth. You know that is what we need right now.”
Deleon Guerrero also believes that “we really need to change the tone of our political discourse and not focus on divisions and conflicts.”
Sablan agreed. In these times of economic challenges, what the CNMI people need to do is to come together, he said.
He vowed to continue “reaching across the aisle” and inviting everyone to a dialogue.
He said many Republicans, Democrats, independents and Covenant Party supporters are approaching him.
They sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with him but what is more important, he said, is “they talk to me about what could be done to solve our problems and that is what we need to do right now.”
“I don’t see people as Republicans or Democrats, or Covenant. I see them as people I work for. They are my boss. They are my employers and I need to work hard in serving them to the best of my ability,” Sablan said.
He said CNMI officials should deal with pressing issues.
Otherwise, he added, “we will continue to go around in circles chasing our tails and playing the shell game. But we don’t have time for that right now.
We need to move forward as a community and have room for everyone.”
