GOP unveils slate for November elections

The election campaign is expected to heat up soon after the Republican Party has formally announced its slate for the November midterm polls, composed mostly of incumbents who are strong bets against candidates expected to be fielded by two other political parties.

Vowing to successfully beat their opponents from the Democratic Party and the new Reform Party headed by former Governor Froilan C. Tenorio, GOP chair Frank DLG Camacho said they will begin their intense campaigning by September or two months before the scheduled elections on November 6.

“We want to be successful in this coming election and each precinct club has its own organization and planning for the upcoming pocket meetings and campaigns,” he said after the party met Thursday evening.

At stake are the 18 seats of the House of Representatives — 16 for Saipan and the Northern Islands and one each for Rota and Tinian — and three seats of the nine-member Senate, each representing the three senatorial districts in the Commonwealth.

According to Camacho, each Republican candidate has contributed $1,600 to the party’s war chest, aside from his or her own campaign funds, to defray election costs, such as advertisement and secretariat office.

He said that campaign will start by October when the GOP platform will be announced.

In a separate interview, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, a Republican, declined to give assessment on the chances of his partymates to continue their majority control of both houses of the Legislature.

“I always feel that (it doesn’t depend on) individuals who are running under whatever party, people have the choice to make their selection,” he told reporters last Friday.

“But then again, I firmly believe that this is democracy and if anybody wants to run for an office, they are certainly entitled and people anyway will be the ones to make their choice,” Tenorio added.

He expressed confidence that voters will pick public officials whom they feel “will address our immediate needs.”

The following is the list of the GOP candidates:

For Saipan and the Northern Islands: incumbent Juan P. Tenorio for the Senate; and for the House:

Precinct 1 (6 seats) – incumbents David M. Apatang, Herman T. Palacios, Karl T. Reyes, Ana S. Teregeyo and Manuel A. Tenorio, and new bet former finance director Eloy S. Inos;

Precinct 2 (2 seats) – incumbents Oscar M. Babauta and Diego T. Benavente;

Precinct 3 (6 seats) – incumbents Jesus T. Attao, Melvin Faisao and Heinz S. Hofschneider, and new bets former speaker Benigno M. Fitial, former education commissioner William S. Torres and former representative Stanley T. Torres;

Precinct 4 (2 seats) – incumbent Frank G. Cepeda and Board of Education member Thomas Pangelinan;

For Rota: incumbents Alejo M. Mendiola for the island’s lone seat in the House and Paul A. Manglona for the Senate.

The GOP has yet to decide which candidates the party will endorse for Tinian’s lone seat in the House as well as its bet for the one senatorial seat up for grabs in the midterm polls.