Gonzales’ delegate run will be as independent

John Oliver Delos Reyes Gonzales formally announced yesterday his candidacy for delegate to the U.S. Congress as an independent and explained why he left the NMI Republican Party.

“Paramount in my decision was the quintessential need for us to respect the fundamental rights of our people as registered voters to exercise freely and to vote for their preferred choice of candidate free from any intrusion, free from any distraction, and free from any violation of their rights to vote,” said the 52-year-old Gonzales during a press briefing at the Eloy S. Inos Peace Park in Puerto Rico.

Gonzales said at the urging of his political advisers and Ambrosio Ogumoro, who is chairman of the committee to elect him and was trained and certified with U.S. Marine reconnaissance, he decided to withdraw running as delegate under the NMI Republican Party and is now running as an independent.

Gonzales, who is a community advocate, said he was not provided written protocol about the GOP primary in advance.

He said he had lobbied for an open primary because at the end of the day, people now don’t vote for the party, especially mid-terms in this case, they vote for the candidate they believe in.

Gonzales said the last election was a testament to that.

“My pledge and my loyalty is to work no less for our people no matter what color they are, no matter what ethnicity or demographic. We must celebrate our people. They need our help. This is our home,” he said.

The CNMI Republican Party’s primary election scheduled on April 13, 2024 did not push through after Gonzales, through Ogumoro, notified the party of his withdrawal.

This prompted the CNMI Republican Party to announce attorney Kimberlyn King-Hinds as the official Republican candidate for the November election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The NMI Democratic Party’s candidate for delegate is Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan).

Gonzales also disclosed yesterday that former representative Ramon S. Basa just resigned from the CNMI Republican Party board to join his committee to elect as co-chairman with Ogumoro.

He said the power and right of voters to vote for their candidate they believe in without any restriction by a political party is fundamental, that no individual, group, or organization whatsoever shall deprive or suppress.

The community advocate said the sanctity of elections based on free and fair play is a cornerstone of a thriving democracy.

Gonzales said on every election day, no matter what the people’s economic social political status is, all are equal.

“I believe and trust that people must freely exercise that right to vote,” he said.

The community advocate said people are jumping for joy upon learning that he is running as an independent, simply because they’re tired of dirty politics, they’re tired of the political trickery that political parties, this inner circle, and cliques continue to subject the people.

He said parties are supposed to be owned and believed and comprised for and on behalf of the people.

“And now that I’m independent, I have no worry whatsoever about sabotage or, you know, tricks because my allegiance is to and I’m beholden to all of you, our people, our voters. Because you deserve no less,” Gonzales said.

He said people are struggling and relatives, friends, and neighbors are suffering, and dirty politics is the last thing they want to hear.

“We need to find solutions,” Gonzales said.

He said he prays and pleads for CNMI leaders that they must find the solutions now and in the near term, and for the next five, 10 years so that people can breathe a sigh of relief and bring hope for a better quality of life for the people, especially the middle class.

Gonzales said the middle class people are working hard with one, two jobs, only to make ends meet because they don’t qualify for the many rights and programs that the people as U.S. citizens, as part of the American family politically affiliated with the United States deserve.

“We are happy that our low income and no income population qualify, but because of $30, $40 they’re not qualified? I think that’s not right. It’s unacceptable. It’s un-American, he said.

Gonzales said he has the solutions and pledged to address that issues because the people deserve better.

He said the United States needs the Northern Marianas as a geopolitically strong strategic asset for its international defense posture in the greater Indo Pacific region.

“I believe we must leverage that. Our Covenant provides us with all the pledges and the promise and the spirit of goodwill by the United States to assist us up the quality of life by providing us, for example, a plethora of economic competitive advantages,” the community advocate said.

He noted that the CNMI used to have a Headnote 3 (a) and was exporting much of the Saipan, Rota, Tinian made products then.

Gonzales said the CNMI was getting almost $2 billion in Gross Domestic Product from export commodities.

He said the shipping industry was alive and well.

Gonzales said he is an economy delegate because he believes that the CNMI services cannot survive and thrive if leaders don’t fix and help the ailing economy.

“We have boundless opportunities to bring greater heights and build a better quality of life for our people,” he said.

Gonzales reiterated his plans for the CNMI and solutions to many issues that he shared during the launching of his delegate bid on the KKMP radio station last March 17.

Gonzales has a degree in political science and history and has a master’s degree in business in international management.

Currently, he is a freelance business consultant and grant writer.

He served as a chief of staff and policy staffer to former Tenorio-Sablan administration, and later under Eloy S. Inos-Ralph DLG Torres/Victor Hocog where he worked on NMI-federal relation issues relate to the Covenant. He also held various positions with different government agencies.

John Oliver Gonzales