Lang may pick a Democrat for running mate

Former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio said he is eyeing a Democrat to be his running mate in next year’s gubernatorial elections as he awaits results of the Republican primary before finalizing his comeback bid.

He declined, however, to reveal the name of his potential candidate for Lt. Governor, saying only that he is a former party-mate from the Democratic Party who will soon join his own political affiliation.

Mr. Tenorio formed the Reform Party last year composed mostly of disgruntled Democrats, fielding its own slate of candidates during the last November midterm polls.

He said that he is watching closely the steps being taken by his probable opponents in the 2001 elections as he stressed that these would plot his next moves before going full blast on his campaign.

“There are a lot of things I am waiting for before I finalize the selection of a running mate,” the former governor told in an interview, citing the forthcoming Republican primary as one of the important factors for his future decisions.

Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan and his running mate, Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez, are facing the team of Representative to Washington Juan N. Babauta and Rep. Diego T. Benavente in the GOP primary, the date of which has yet been set by party leaders.

“It will help me a lot to make that final decision on who my running mate is once I know who my opponents will be,” added Mr. Tenorio.

The former governor, who lost a three-way race in the 1997 gubernatorial elections to his uncle Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, is now hoping to draw support of his former party as the Democrats have yet to pick their candidate for 2001.

Although he has yet to formally announce his bid, his former Lt. Gov. Jesus C. Borja is expected to be endorsed by the Democratic Party. Mr. Borja ran as independent against the two Tenorios in the last elections.

“I am a candidate for governor next year. I can’t say that it’s going to be a three-way fight this time again because Jesse Borja has not announced whether he’s running or not,” said the ex-governor.

“I hope that only I and the Republican candidate are going to run against each other,” he added.

Unfazed by the potentially crowded field in the 2001 political exercise, the Reform Party expressed confidence over his and his party’s chances at the polls.

“I think I’m going to win the election regardless of whether there are three candidates or even more than before,” Mr. Tenorio said.

He has disclosed earlier that he would formally launched his political comeback by early next year. He has also vowed to turn around the island’s economy which he said has crumbled during the Teno administration for its failure to confront the problems dogging the CNMI since his term ended in January 1998.