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Dems set primary contest between Cing, Crisostimo
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Posted on Jul 13 2008
Sen. Luis Crisostimo and former Sen. David Cing will face off in a party primary set for Sunday, July 27, 2008, on all three islands.
The NMI Democratic Party said its credentials committee has found that both candidates are qualified to run as the party’s candidate in the U.S. congressional delegate election on Nov. 4, 2008. However, since there is only one seat available, the party would need to have a closed primary. This means that only registered Democrats will be allowed to vote.
There has been no final decision yet as to where the primary will be held.
Former Rep. Manuel Sablan, chairman of the party, has asked each candidate to pay a non-refundable primary fee of $2,500 by Tuesday, July 15, 2008. The successful candidate will be asked to pay an additional $7,500 for the campaign.
The party hopes to have a candidate before the Aug. 6 deadline for filing nominating petitions with the Commonwealth Election Commission.
Although not a member of the national party, Cing has said the Commonwealth must elect a Democrat to the U.S. Congress, which is currently ruled by the party. He argued that a Democrat would have more clout, and could be appointed to chair relevant subcommittees and work together with the mostly Democratic delegates from other insular areas.
He presented himself as the better candidate than Crisostimo, whom he said is new to the party. “This primary is actually negative for me because I am a hardcore Democrat, while Crisostimo is just a recent member. He won as an independent candidate, right?” He said, though, that he will abide with the party’s decision.
In addition to Cing and Crisostimo, five candidates have expressed interest in running independent. Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio will represent the NMI Republican Party. Retired judge Juan T. Lizama, Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Gregorio Sablan, television talk show host John Oliver Gonzales, and businessman Patrick M. Calvo are planning to run independent.
To date, only Gonzales and Lizama have formally filed their candidacy with the Election Commission.
