“Along the way, I have consulted with families and friends,” he said. “After much reflection, and in the interest of maintaining family respect and unity within the Republican Party, I have come to realize that there will be a better time to seek public service and it is not now.”
He said he is thankful for the support that his family, friends and members of the community have shown him when they learned he was running.
He said he is also thankful that they understand why he decided not to pursue his political goal.
His agenda included issues regarding the impact of the recent federalization of minimum wage and immigration, ownership of submerged lands, the social and economic impact of the military buildup on the Marianas region, the energy crisis, veterans benefits and health care matters.
“We have all these issues and we have lots of needs but the number one thing that we must take care of before we even deal with other issues is to patch up or create or show the proper image for the commonwealth,” he said. “I believe in the past years, the CNMI has been portrayed in the most negative light. All these negative issues and the rhetoric used to strip a significant portion of our self-government — we need to cure that and patch that up.” His message to the CNMI delegate candidates: “I commend them personally. It’s a significant sacrifice to spend your resources, your time, and your effort and it’s not something that is easily done. My recommendation for them is to understand the institutional knowledge needed, and what the voting delegate can do and what’s he’s not capable of doing and not to raise the expectations of our voters.” This election, he added, “is an opportunity for a rebirth of our commonwealth, but as promises are being made, it is important to understand what that position is capable of doing for the CNMI.”
