“I’m still running with him,” the governor told reporters on Friday.
“I’m running with or without him,” he said and added that it’s Villagomez’s prerogative to leave the ruling Covenant Party.
“This is democracy,” Fitial said.
Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, told reporters that Villagomez and Fitial’s Public Safety Commissioner Clyde Norita registered as Republicans to support his candidacy.
GOP President Ed Tenorio neither denied nor confirmed the information and added that they welcome Villagomez to the party.
“As you know the lt. governor is a former Republican,” he said.
He said he will have to check if Villagomez has indeed registered as a Republican.
Asked for comment, Villagomez said: “My family has always been associated with the Republican Party. I am also associated with the Covenant Party. This is America.”
Pressed to elaborate, he said: “I still have more important things to worry about.”
But he promised to make an announcement at an appropriate time.
Fitial used to be the head of the local Republican Party.
In 2001, he founded the Covenant Party to run for governor. He lost by a landslide, but won in his second attempt four years later by 84 votes.
Fitial has said that he will seek re-election because his work isn’t done yet.
He said he has the political will and the resources to turn the economy around.
