HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Delegate Michael San Nicolas has firmed up his decision to run for governor and will be picking up a candidate packet Tuesday along with his running mate who, according to a KUAM report, is its managing director for local productions.
Sabrina Salas Matanane, now steps down from her job at KUAM.
Tuesday also marks the first day of filing of candidacies for the 2022 primary elections and the Guam Election Commission is all set to accept the filings, GEC Executive Director Maria Pangelinan said.
If San Nicolas files his candidacy as a Democrat, then he and Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero will be facing off in a Democratic primary for governor.
On the Republican side, only former Gov. Felix Camacho has announced his candidacy for governor. Sen. Tony Ada as his running mate.
San Nicolas initially made public his “consideration” of a gubernatorial run in September, during a virtual meeting of the Guam Chamber of Commerce.
On Monday, he announced he would be picking up a candidate packet for governor, with his running mate, at the GEC office at 10 a.m. He later changed it to Tuesday.
In that short statement, however, San Nicolas did not name his running mate.
In the last few weeks, different names that have popped up, as his potential running mate, including a former Guam National Guard adjutant general and a senator.
After San Nicolas announced he’s running for governor, KUAM sent out a press release announcing Matanane’s resignation “to pursue political aspirations.”
From senator to delegate
Prior to being elected Guam’s nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, San Nicolas served three terms as a senator at the Guam Legislature.
Nine months into his first year serving as delegate to Congress, the House Ethics Committee started investigating him on allegations of illegal activities during his first campaign for delegate in 2018, and that investigation continues today.
A 2020 report from the Office of Congressional Ethics states there’s a “substantial reason to believe” that San Nicolas failed to disclose required information or disclosed false information in his Federal Election Commission filings, accepted cash contributions in excess of FEC limits, and converted campaign funds to personal use.
These also include an alleged sexual relationship with a person on his congressional staff
San Nicolas has also been investigated for alleged interference in a federal government investigation.
Amid the investigation, San Nicolas went on to serve as vice chair of the House Committee on Financial Services. His bill to fix a technical error in the 2016 Guam war claims law became law and paved the way for the start of payments for Guam’s World War II survivors or their heirs.
He also worked to get the federal government to reimburse Guam for earned income tax credit payments.
Michael San Nicolas
Sabrina Salas Matanane
