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Felipe Atalig is ninth delegate hopeful
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Posted on Aug 06 2008
The Fitial administration welcomes the crowded Nov. 4 race for the CNMI’s first-ever non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Saipan Municipal Council member Felipe Atalig joined the race yesterday, becoming the ninth and final congressional delegate hopeful.
“Regarding the delegate race, I want to say the governor welcomes active democratic participation. We are not bothered at all by the number of candidates. We think that’s a positive thing,” press secretary Charles Reyes Jr. told the Saipan Tribune yesterday.
Reyes said more candidates means more choices for voters.
He said the governor knows that the delegate race will be a competitive one. As of yesterday, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial had yet to endorse a candidate.
Reyes said the governor may endorse a candidate at some point or he may not at all.
“But at this point he is open and neutral,” the press secretary said.
Reyes noted that if the governor were to challenge the federalization law, the challenge would not include the delegate portion.
“The delegate portion is not harmful. He [Fitial] supports the delegate portion of the law. What he disagrees with are the other provisions of the law that he finds very damaging to the CNMI economy,” he added.
According to Election Commission acting Director Julie Villagomez, Atalig filed his candidacy at 12:30pm yesterday.
Yesterday was the deadline for filing of candidacy.
On Monday, high school teacher and Vietnam War veteran John Davis also filed his candidacy.
The other candidates are Resident Rep. Pete A. Tenorio, former senator David Cing, television talk show host John Oliver Gonzales, retired judge Juan T. Lizama, businessman Chong Won, former Election Commission executive director Gregorio Sablan and Sen. Luis Crisostimo.
