Much has already been said about the Republican Party’s record of governance in the islands these past forty years. I highlighted more recent failures in my editorial, “A Legacy of Chaos: What They Want Us to Forget” (https://www.facebook.com/notes/tina-sablan/a-legacy-of-chaos-what-they-want-us-to-forget/10158927015878586).
In this piece, I focus on what the Democratic Party of the Northern Marianas has to offer, and the strengths that set us apart.
We have a platform. Last week, the Democrats launched our updated platform that places front and center the needs and interests of ordinary citizens: from working families to small business owners and our most vulnerable community members. The Democratic platform is a living document, the product of much collaborative work and many conversations these past months among candidates, party leaders, supporters, and countless members of our community. The platform lays out the values that guide us and our legislative priorities for economic recovery, restoring public trust in government, improving healthcare in the commonwealth, raising quality of life in our villages, and reforming our criminal justice system. View our platform here: https://www.nmidems.org/our-platform.
We made a pledge. Our Democratic candidates have publicly pledged to hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, to be responsible stewards of taxpayer funds, to report regularly on legislative activities and expenditures, to support the development of small businesses and a diversified economy, to invest greater resources in healthcare, and to promote fairness and transparency in government hiring and contracting. Find our pledge here: https://www.nmidems.org/candidates-pledge
We are committed to checks and balances. Democrats recognize that decades of one-party rule have undermined checks and balances in our system of government. Our candidates are committed to restoring the balance of power established in our constitution. We will exercise the oversight authority of the Legislature to ensure fiscal responsibility across the government and hold departments and agencies accountable for the delivery of public services and the enforcement of our laws.
We prize education. Democrats view education as the single most important investment we can make to raise our standard of living, close social and economic disparities, develop a skilled workforce, and build a sustainable future for the CNMI. Our candidates include retired and former educators, parents and children of educators, and champions of public education at all levels from kindergarten through college and vocational training. Most of our candidates have attained college degrees, and some hold master’s degrees, in fields that range from education to business administration, criminal justice, finance and accounting, engineering, conservation science, and urban planning.
We embrace diversity. Democrats come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Our candidates reflect the incredible diversity of our community. We have among us small business owners and entrepreneurs, public servants, educators, retirees, veterans and military family members, artists and musicians, cultural practitioners, farmers and fishers, environmentalists, health and labor advocates, parents, grandparents, millennials, caregivers — the list goes on. In the Democratic Party, everyone has a seat at the table.
We value women’s representation. More women are running for public office in the 2020 election than at any other time in CNMI history, and nearly all of them are Democrats. Our nine Democratic women candidates are: Edith Deleon Guerrero (Senate – 3rd Senatorial District); Celina Babauta (P-1); Luella Marciano and myself, Christina Sablan (P-2); Denita Yangetmai and Corinna Magofna (P-3); Sheila Babauta and Jenita Castro (P-4); and Leila Staffler (P-5). Experience and research show that women bring broad and distinctive perspectives as mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and caregivers, and a more collaborative approach to decision-making. Democrats recognize that women’s representation matters, and women in leadership roles everywhere are shaping policies in profound ways that lift up the entire community.
Democrats envision a safe, just, healthy, and beautiful Commonwealth, where the rule of law prevails, prosperity is shared, and economic development raises quality of life for all. When we say we put the public interest first, above personal and special interests, we actually mean it. When we say we are the party of the people, we show how — through the values we share, the commitments we have made, and the plans and priorities we have set forth in consultation with the people we hope to serve.
There is much work to do to create that better, fairer, brighter future for all. That future depends on all of us who love this community getting involved, speaking freely and without fear, and voting our conscience. The change we want is only possible if we work for it together. Change begins when we vote for it.
