Yumul, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he had lunch on Monday with fellow Republican Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio and NMI GOP Chairman Ed Tenorio.
“I told them I may potentially be called to active duty,” Yumul told Variety in a phone interview.
Yumul, a U.S. Army Reservist, served in Iraq for nearly two years before he was re-elected as House lawmaker.
He added that Reservists in the CNMI were told that they are scheduled to begin another round of training on July 14.
“I may be called out for active duty so I want to spend more time with my family now,” he said, adding that even if he wins the GOP primary he cannot physically campaign for his candidacy.
“I got so much cross party support that even Lt. Gov. Tim Villagomez and Commisssioner Clyde Norita registered as GOP in support of me,” said Yumul.
Yumul is the second delegate hopeful who has pulled out from the race.
Attorney Victorino DLG. Torres, another Republican, was the first one to back out.
Besides Washington Rep. Tenorio, the other candidates for delegate are Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, D-Saipan; retired Superior Court Judge Juan T. Lizama; outgoing Commonwealth Election Commission Executive Director Gregorio Sablan; TV talk show host and mining division chief of the Department of Public Lands John Gonzales; Saipan Rotary Club President Patrick Calvo; and former Sen. David M. Cing, D-Tinian.
