Jesse Torres and Willie Brundidge are running in Precinct 5, which has two seats in the House of Representatives, while Angelo Villagomez is the party’s Saipan mayoral candidate.
The other Democratic hopeful, Rep. Justo S. Quitugua, filed his Saipan senatorial candidacy last week.
Torres, Brundidge and Villagomez arrived at the election commission office ahead of Rep. Tina Sablan, who filed her candidacy for Saipan’s Senate seat.
The Democrats were accompanied by Ed Propst, the party’s director, and their supporters while Sablan was with her spouse Glen Hunter and Precinct 5 Republican Rep. Ed T. Salas, who is not seeking re-election.
Clean
Propst said their candidates are “honest people with very clean track records.”
Although Democrats don’t have a complete slate, “this is not about quantity but about the quality of the candidates,” Propst said.
For the first time in CNMI history, the party will not have a gubernatorial candidate.
“So we won’t throw our support to any particular candidate — it’s totally open,” Propst said.
Sablan said she decided to run for the Senate a couple of weeks ago after consulting with friends and other members of the community.
She said she was happy to see new candidates with new visions and ideas for change.
In a statement,Sablan said:
“Two years ago, when I was running for a seat in the House of Representatives, I made a commitment to remain true to my principles as a citizen of the commonwealth and as a public official. Since being elected to the House, I have strived to consistently act according to my conscience; to push for greater transparency in government, and especially in the Legislature; to be prudent and frugal in expenditures of public funds; and to speak honestly and openly about the many serious and complex issues facing the commonwealth.
“These past two years I have also sought opportunities to encourage other citizens to consider running for public office. The commonwealth is in need of new, honest and visionary leaders who would bring fresh perspectives to the table of government, and who would act responsibly and conscientiously on behalf of their constituents, with the long-term interests of the commonwealth in mind. This year, I have been encouraged by the number of individuals fresh to politics who have announced their candidacies in the House. Fresh perspectives are needed in the Senate as well, and I believe that I can contribute considerably in that regard.
“Many have asked me, ‘Why the Senate?’ I am interested in a Senate seat for several reasons, and make several commitments if elected to this office. First, I would continue to advocate for greater transparency in the Senate as I have done these past 18 months in the House, and would continue to openly communicate my positions on the issues and actions taken in the Legislature as I have done as a member of the House.
“Second, the Senate plays an important role in many ways as a check on the actions of the lower House, which is and has been the primary source of legislation of all kinds; I would take this role as seriously as I have taken every vote I have cast as a member of the House.
“And third, I believe that as a senator I would be in an excellent position to help improve the process by which confirmations of appointments to critical government boards and commissions are made. Advice and consent for board and commission appointments are functions unique to the Senate for the most part, and unfortunately these functions have not been carried out as diligently as they should have been in prior years, with often negative consequences. As senator I would be committed to carefully scrutinizing the backgrounds and qualifications of all gubernatorial nominations, and exploring ways to improve the confirmation process formally through legislation.”
If elected, Torres said he will push for a program that establishes public transportation in the CNMI.
“A lot of Kagman residents have no rides,” he added.
Torres also wants to set up a trash station in Kagman to help eradicate illegal dumping there, and allow residents to cut their vehicle fuel consumption.
“We’re few but we don’t have a bad history. We are new to politics and a lot of us are very active in community, and people know us and they can trust us,” Torres said, referring to his party’s candidates.
Brundidge said he decided to seek an elective post because he was already tired of complaining about the many things that have been neglected by the government.
“The government is not taking care of its people,” he said.
“I feel this is a calling to try to give something back to the people of CNMI — for 16 years I’ve been here,” Brundidge said.
He said he will campaign for the beautification of CNMI and for the employment of local people.
Villagomez said he is running to represent “something new” in the commonwealth.
“A lot of people know me as one of the founders of Beautify CNMI!, which is a public service and giving back to the community. I plan to continue serving the public but this time as an officer of the public,” he said.
