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Cing to contest Crisostimo’s bid for delegate post
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Posted on Jul 04 2008
Former Tinian Sen. David Cing has announced he will challenge Sen. Luis Crisostimo’s bid to run for U.S. congressional delegate under the local Democratic Party.
Cing formally asked the party to support his candidacy on Wednesday evening. He and Crisostimo are expected to face off in a primary later this month.
Asked why he is running, Cing said there is a strong need to get the Northern Marianas represented by a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, since Congress is currently ruled by Democratic Party.
He said a Democratic Party member like himself would be most effective in carrying the Commonwealth’s agenda to Congress. A Democratic delegate from the Northern Marianas can be appointed to chair important subcommittees, and can join forces with the mostly Democratic delegates from other insular areas, he said.
At the same time, he said: “To be honest, the salary is very attractive.” The Northern Marianas’ delegate will receive the same salary—nearly $170,000 a year—as any member of the U.S. Congress.
According to Cing, Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio may be the most experienced of all the candidates for delegate, but he is with the wrong party. Tenorio will represent the NMI Republican Party in the delegate election.
Cing said that independent candidates, if any of them is elected, will fare worse in Congress. “What can he do for us if he’s independent? It’s like going to Congress with the Belize flag,” he said.
At least four candidates have expressed their interest in running independent: retired judge Juan T. Lizama, Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Gregorio Sablan, television talk show host John Oliver Gonzales, and businessman Patrick M. Calvo.
Cing urged voters to look beyond family ties when picking their candidate. “Families are very important here. But when you get to D.C., only political affiliation matters. That’s a fact,” he said.
Cing was a Tinian senator for 12 consecutive years until he lost to Sen. Henry San Nicolas in the 2003 election.
