GOP sets primary between Babauta, Heinz

The CNMI Republican Party yesterday confirmed that a primary election has been set between two gubernatorial aspirants who are seeking the party’s endorsement in the November poll.

GOP chair Ed Tenorio said three aspirants have already submitted their letters of intent—former governor Juan N. Babauta, Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, and Rep. Diego Benavente, who incidentally was the first to announce his candidacy.

There have been reports, though, that Benavente intends to back out of the race and wants to withdraw his letter of intent from the party. Benavente neither confirmed nor denied these reports yesterday.

Reluctant to admit that the number of gubernatorial aspirants may go down to just two, Tenorio said the party wants all aspirants—for governor, lieutenant governor, senators, congressman, and mayor—to submit their intention by March 20.

“The primary election is temporarily set for the latter part of June or early July. We have set March 20 as the deadline for all candidates wanting to run under the GOP banner,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Saipan Tribune learned that Benavente has yet to identify his running mate for the general election, while Babauta is seeking the party’s endorsement with current Education Board member Galvin Deleon Guerrero as running mate. Hofschneider, meanwhile, picked House Speaker Arnold Palacios as his running mate.

Tenorio, when asked about the party’s expectations this general election, said the GOP hopes to field strong candidates.

“As soon as they all comply with their letters of intent, that’s when we will set up more meetings and preparations for the campaign. There’s a need to put the team together this time,” he said.

In the last election, Hofschneider ended up running as an independent candidate after Babauta successfully won the party’s endorsement. There was no primary conducted between the two aspirants.

However, the two were defeated by Fitial in a four-way race in 2005.

Edward Guerrero, chairman of the committee to elect Juan Babauta and Galvin Deleon Guerrero, said yesterday that if Benavente backs out from the race, he hopes the former lieutenant governor will support the Babauta-Deleon Guerrero tandem.

Guerrero is confident that Babauta will be the victor in the GOP primary.

“I am very confident of that…because we’re working very hard and we’re hoping the outcome will be favorable for their tandem,” Guerrero told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

The committee chairman said that since Babauta-Deleon Guerrero already complied with all the requirements set by GOP, “we’re just awaiting final word as to the final date of the primary.”

Guerrero said the information about Benavente’s possible withdrawal from the race is considered “favorable” to Babauta’s group because Republican votes will be split between just two candidates—Babauta and Hofschneider.

“We’re hoping that if he [Diego] backs out, he will support our group and align himself and his candidates with us,” Guerrero said.

Like GOP chair Ed Tenorio, Guerrero is confident that the party will be fielding a strong slate in the November election.