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Local GOP to choose six delegates that will help pick presidential bet
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Posted on Feb 06 2012
Republicans in the CNMI will select on March 10 six of the nine delegates that it will send to the August Republican National Convention in Florida to help pick the GOP’s presidential candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in the Nov. 6 polls.
NMI Republican Party members organizing the event confirmed yesterday that the delegates’ selection will be on March 10, a Saturday, but they have yet to finalize the place and time.
Three of the nine delegates are party leaders: Gov. Benigno R. Fitial as chairman/president of the NMI Republican Party, national committeeman Bo Palacios, and national committeewoman Viola Alepuyo.
The nine delegates—the three party leaders and the six delegates to be selected on March 10—will attend the Aug. 27 to 30 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.
At the convention, the Republicans will pick the party’s candidates for president and vice president.
As of yesterday, there’s no telling whether the Republicans here will endorse frontrunner and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, runner-up and former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, or former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.
In 2008, Republican delegates from the CNMI endorsed Sen. John McCain.
The NMI Republican Party received official recognition from the national organization in 2004.
Other U.S. insular areas, such as American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto, will also have at least nine delegates each to the national convention.
CNMI voters cannot participate in federal elections.
