OUR Delegate is the only voice we have in the U.S. federal government. While our delegate is limited to the House of Representatives and can’t vote on legislation, the Delegate participates in House committees and votes on important legislation. The Delegate meets and confers with other lawmakers who do vote. And the delegate maintains an office in our capital, Washington, D.C. and has eyes and ears to the ground to catch the news, trends, and possibilities that are the bread and butter of political discourse. If we want help from our federal government, we need an effective Delegate.
Now more than ever, it is critical that we have a Delegate we can count on. Our U.S. Constitutional government is under attack — both from foreign adversaries who wage hidden propaganda wars to ruin us from within and to discredit us before our allies; and by those who have fallen prey to adverse influence and support upending our Constitution, limiting freedoms like speech and press, and turning against other democratic nations who are our natural allies in favor of strongmen, dictators, and tyrants.
The Republican Party has been taken over by MAGA. Its leader, Donald Trump, refuses to promise adherence to our Constitutional election system. Instead, he has said if he wins, it will be the last election we ever need to have. On July 26, 2024, Turning Point Action sponsored the Believers’ Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida. At the event, in closing remarks, Trump implored his supporters to vote “just this time” and promised them that if he won, after this they “won’t have to vote anymore.” His exact words also included the statement that if they vote for him this November, “in four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.”
If Trump loses, he has threatened violence or predicted it as an incentive to his followers. On March 17, 2024 at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, he said “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s gonna be the least of it,” he added. “It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least of it…”
There are a lot more reasons to believe that our Constitutional government is under attack from MAGA and its candidate for President, Donald Trump. The composition of the U.S. Supreme Court is one of the battleground fronts. It is already filled with MAGA Republicans who have turned the Constitution on its head by saying that Presidents are entitled to immunity from prosecution for crimes while in office. For decades before this decision, I heard that no one is above the law. For centuries, the U.S. has prided itself on a justice system that applies equally to all. But the MAGA Supreme Court has distorted the law to protect Donald Trump. And we are all in grave danger now of the further erosion of our Constitutional system of government.
Our Delegate is just one small voice in this political atmosphere. But it is OUR voice. Here are reasons to vote Blue — meaning for the Democrat Ed Propst.
1) He’s the best candidate. I say that because he’s smart, hard-working and most importantly, has the support from sectors that will enable him to handle the job in the best way for the CNMI. Kilili, our current Delegate, has endorsed him. Arnold Palacios, our current Governor, has endorsed him. He has endorsements from Lino Olopai, Tina Sablan, Nola Kileleman Hix and others. It is this depth of experience in our community and especially the support of Kilili with his years of experience as Delegate that provide a strong foundation that Ed can build on to succeed for all of us.
2) None of the other candidates are right for the job this time. Kimberly King-Hinds is well-educated but as a Republican she will not be able to stand up to MAGA. She’s not going to withstand the pressure from the powerful in her own party. She’ll vote with them and that will not be for or with the CNMI. Jim Rayphand and John Oliver Gonzales are intelligent, but neither has the supportive backing and team for success that compares to Ed Propst’s.
3) When it comes to justice, we need a strong Constitutional government. This means checks and balances. A vote for a republican in the current atmosphere is a vote for MAGA and the Heritage Foundation’s 900-page plan for Project 2025 that includes hamstringing our federal government and putting the burden on states and local governments. The MAGA/Republicans are anti-science, anti-education, and anti-free press because an uninformed population is easier to control by a dictator than an educated, informed population.
The Project 2025 plan embraces these philosophies. For example, anti-science is anti-knowledge about climate change. The plan is to limit NOAA and the National Weather Service to data gathering and to prohibit and prevent predictive aspects of their work. They can get data, but can’t analyze it or share it. Where will the CNMI be without accurate weather service predictions? This is just one example — but a critical one. Who is supporting challenging and removing books from libraries? Not Democrats — only Republicans, and mostly MAGA. We love our CNMI public libraries! What happens under the Project 2025 plan to NAP and Medicaid? Tighter restrictions, fewer people qualifying, reduced or capped benefits. In our poor economy, these safety nets are more important than ever. The Heritage Foundation plan also calls for eliminating Head Start, which is very important for our children’s success here, and offers some working parents help with child care. Other Project 2025 plans include defunding Public Broadcasting (publicly supported TV and NPR radio), ending student debt relief, and of course, lower taxes for the wealthiest. The Heritage Foundation is MAGA Republican. Its plans are exactly what Trump and his selected and appointed officials will embrace and try to use to reshape America. The strongest coordinated effort we can raise against this effort is to be united with Democrats. I don’t think Jim Rayphand or John Oliver Gonzales would support these MAGA/Republican, Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 plans. So would they align with Democrats? Then why not just vote Blue? That is the best choice this year for the CNMI.
If we want to save our Constitutional government and get the help we need for the CNMI, we need to vote Blue and elect Ed Propst as our next Delegate.
A lawyer, Jane Mack has lived and worked in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands since 1984.
