THE supporters of the Democratic and independent candidates in this year’s election are strongly behind Independent gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and his running mate, Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, in the runoff election next week, said Palacios and Rep. Tina Sablan, the Democrats’ former gubernatorial candidate.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Palacios and Sablan said their supporters will continue to advocate for the change “they have been longing for.”
Palacios said he knows that Republican Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ campaign people are now trying their best to lure independents and Democrats to the GOP camp.
Palacios said he trusts that the support of those who voted for him on Nov. 8 remains strong.
“I am [a] very trusting person…[and] I leave it up to them as their support is pretty strong,” he added.
“At the end of the day, let’s ask ourselves this question: After one year of campaigning and advocating for change in the way governance is conducted, isn’t this the time to stay strong in ushering the change that we have been waiting for a long time?”
Sablan, for her part, again encouraged all those who voted for her and her running mate, Rep. Leila Staffler, and the people who voted for Palacios and Apatang “to stay the course.”
“We can see change in our leadership, the change that we need if people turn up in the runoff election and vote,” Sablan said.
She also said that when she heard Torres talking about the things he had in common with the NMI Democrats, “I felt like I was in the twilight zone.”
“Well, some of the things that Democrats have been pushing for throughout this campaign is end public corruption, and the restoration of trust and integrity in our government and fiscal responsibility. We have nothing in common with Ralph Torres’ administration,” Sablan added.
Better team
On Thursday, the NMI Democrats issued the following statement:
“The Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands celebrates the people of the Northern Marianas who exercised their right to vote in the recent General Election.
“We congratulate the victors — especially the Democrats among them — and wish them well as they take on the task of running our government and leading our Commonwealth. We trust that the Democrats elected to office and their Independent counterparts will lead with the values Democrats hold dear — the values of collaboration, responsibility, accountability, vision, and ethics.
“Though the history-making gubernatorial tandem of Christina Marie E. Sablan and Leila Haveia Fleming C. Staffler did not garner enough votes to enter the runoff election, the Party echoes Tina and Leila’s assertion that good governance is still on the ballot in the runoff. Tina and Leila have expressed their support for Arnold I. Palacios and David M. Apatang because the Palacios-Apatang team is the better team to lead our Commonwealth. Like Tina and Leila, many Democrats across the Marianas have voiced their enthusiastic support for Arnold and Dave and are working hard to get them elected.
“To our candidates who worked hard but who did not make it in the recent election: the Party thanks you for your passion, your tirelessness, your wisdom, and your commitment to the values that distinguish the Democratic Party from other political organizations in our Commonwealth. We celebrate you and wish you the best as you continue making a difference in our CNMI.”
Rep. Tina Sablan, second right, passes the pen to Independent gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios after she signed the “Unity Pledge for the Marianas” as Rep. Leila Staffler and Palacios’s running mate, Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, look on during a press conference on Wednesday at the AD 2022 headquarters in Garapan.
