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Juan N. Babauta to run again
Sources say Dr. Rita A. Sablan is Babauta’s running mate
Former governor Juan N. Babauta reportedly intends to run in the 2018 gubernatorial race and challenge Gov. Ralph DLG Torres for the top CNMI post at the Nov. 6 general election.
Sources disclosed that Babauta will run as an independent candidate and has chosen former education commissioner Dr. Rita A. Sablan as his running mate.
Sources said the Babauta-Sablan tandem has been confirmed and that the two will be making an official announcement about their candidacy today, Thursday, 1:30pm at Babauta’s home.
As of press time yesterday, Babauta and Sablan have yet to reply to Saipan Tribune’s calls and emails.
Torres is gunning for the same post, with Senate President Arnold I. Palacios (R-Saipan) as his running mate.
Babauta served as the sixth elected governor of the CNMI for one term, from 2002 to 2006. He sought re-election under the Republican Party in 2005, but was defeated by Benigno R. Fitial of the Covenant Party.
In the 2009 election, Babauta sought the Republican nomination for the governor’s position, but Heinz Hofschneider defeated him in the primary election. He then endorsed Hofschneider’s candidacy.
In 2010, Babauta, as a Republican, sought the position of the CNMI’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, but incumbent Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) won re-election to a second term. Babauta placed third.
In 2014, Babauta, with former senator Juan Torres as his running mate, ran for governor as an independent. The late governor Eloy S. Inos won with Torres as running mate.
Babauta served as resident representative of the NMI in Washington, D.C. for three four-year terms, from 1990 to 2002.
Dr. Rita Sablan retired in 2016 as education commissioner after serving the Public School System for eight years. She was the recipient of the Peter Brice Award in July 2016. The award is given to the top educator in the Pacific region in honor of New Zealand’s late minister of Education.
