The Republican Party will not be holding a primary to choose a candidate for governor and lieutenant governor because the GOP already endorsed in September the candidacies of Gov. Eloy S. Inos and Senate President Ralph Torres (R-Saipan), sources said, after the GOP\u2019s meeting last night to decide on former governor Juan N. Babauta\u2019s request for an open primary.<\/p>\n
Ivan Blanco, chairman of the GOP Central Committee\u2019s public relations team, said the Republican Party will be sending today a formal response to Babauta\u2019s Feb. 21 letter, based on the results of last night\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cA GOP decision has been made in response to Mr. Babauta and Mr. [Juan] Torres\u2019 letter of intent and out of courtesy to them, the response decision will be transmitted [today],\u201d Blanco told Saipan Tribune last night.<\/p>\n
But sources said the decision is to not hold a primary, because of the Inos-Torres endorsement last year, which also followed the Covenant Party\u2019s merger with the Republican Party.<\/p>\n
Babauta, who picked former senator Juan Sablan Torres as his running mate, said last night he would like to see the GOP\u2019s actual letter before making his next move.<\/p>\n
He reiterated that he and Torres would like to be given an opportunity to be considered for an open primary election in the selection for candidate for governor and lieutenant governor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am a lifelong Republican,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the party behaves by closing the doors of opportunity for other members in a way that is unfair, the party loses somehow because there is dissension in the ranks, there is animosity within the ranks and some will call themselves independents. I am giving the party the opportunity to make a decision on a practice that holds the party together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Babauta said \u201ca party that stays together goes through the process together\u201d and that the GOP should remain as \u201cparty of inclusion, not exclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
As of last night, he said he has not decided yet whether to still run or not if and when the GOP formally declines his request for a primary.<\/p>\n
There are at least four individuals vying for the governor\u2019s post, including Inos and Babauta.<\/p>\n
Former House speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider declared his candidacy as an independent on Monday, with Senate floor leader Ray Yumul (Ind-Saipan) as his running mate.<\/p>\n
Former Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director Edward \u201cTofila\u201d M. Deleon Guerrero, a Democrat, also confirmed he wants to run for governor on Saturday.<\/p>\n
A four-way race is expected to result in a runoff election because it would be difficult for any of the candidates to get at least 50 percent plus one of the votes cast in the general elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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