Chamber candidates’ forum starts tonight

The three-day 2016 Saipan Candidates Public Forum begins tonight with the islands’ two senatorial candidates and the 11 contenders for the six Precinct 1 seats taking the hot seat. The Saipan Chamber of Commerce organized the forum with SCC coordinator Nicolas S. Palacios as moderator.

Tickets for the forum, to be held from 6pm to 9pm at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe, are $10 each and can be bought at the SCC office at the third floor of the Marianas Business Palaza (formerly Nauru Building) in Susupe. Space is limited to 100 persons only.

Sen. Sixto K. Igisomar (R-Saipan), which was elected to finish the remaining term of then-senator Ray N. Yumul, is running for re-election against the former independent lawmaker who ran as Heinz Hofschneider’s running mate in 2014.

It is a crowded race in Precinct 1 and 3, the largest in the CNMI, as it has 24 candidates vying for 12 seats in the House of Representatives.

Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, Angel A. Demapan, Joseph “Leepan” T. Guerrero, Janet U. Maratita, Gregorio M. Sablan Jr., and Antonio P. Sablan are the Republican candidates for Precinct 1 in the House.

Deleon Guerrero, Demapan, Guerrero, and Sablan are incumbents seeking for another term while Maratita is a former lawmaker with Greg Sablan an ex-director of the Veterans Affairs Office.

Roman C. Benavente and Edwin K. Propst are members of the independent bloc in the House with Joseph A. Flores vying for another seat also under their ticket. Anthony I. Duenas and Ana S. Teregeyo are also running as independents.

It will be Saipan Municipal Council candidates Luis John Castro and Diego L. Kaipat’s turn to face the public along with the 12 other individuals that are contesting the six House seats.

Former vice speaker Francisco S. Dela Cruz leads the Republican ticket that includes Donald C. Barcinas, GOP spokesperson Ivan A. Blanco, and Jose I. Itibus. They will be up against incumbents Blas Jonathan T. Attao, Anthony T. Benavente, Ramon A. Tebuteb, Edmund J. Villagomez, and Ralph N. Yumul from the independent bloc.

Hofschneider, a former House speaker, and Stanley T. Torres are trying to make a comeback running as independents along with Vicente C. Camacho.

There are 13 candidates vying for a total of six seats in Precincts 2, 4, and 5. House speaker Rafael S. Demapan and Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation chair John Paul P. Sablan are trying to get re-elected in Precinct 2 with Vicente A. Ichihara running as an independent in the same area.

House majority leader George N. Camacho and Alice S. Igitol are the Republican candidates in Precinct 4 with incumbent Vinson Edward F. Sablan, Aaron Jay Murdock, and Joseph K. Ruak running as independents.

Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero is the member of the independent bloc in the 19th Legislature vying for one of the two seats in Precinct 5 with Antonio R. Agutlo, Francisco C. Aguon, James Anthony D. Cabrera, and Antonio M. Camacho vying for the other slot to be vacated by Rep. Francisco Taimanao who decided not to seek re-election.