Matt Romney and his wife Laurie arrived on Saipan last night and will meet today with the Republican Party of the NMI Association chairman Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and the rest of the leadership to drum up support for Mitt Romney.
“Your vote means a lot. On Saturday, please get out. Do everything you can. Not only would it be great to see you there but also bring your neighbors and your friends. Even if they don't vote for my dad, I still want to make sure that everybody gets out and vote. If they do vote for my dad, give them a ride and offer them some breakfast or something,” he said.
This meeting comes on the eve of the CNMI Republican Party's caucus tomorrow to elect six of the nine delegates to the Republican National Convention to help pick the challenger for President Barack Obama of the Democratic Party.
Although the CNMI delegates are “unbound,” meaning they are not obligated to vote for a particular candidate at the Republican National Convention, sources in the party said the delegates from the Commonwealth are poised to support Romney.
Mitt Romney has so far garnered 415 delegates, still less than half of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the Republican presidential nomination so his campaign is reaching out to far-flung U.S. territories such as the CNMI and Guam.
Fitial and the Republican Party of the NMI Association announced Matt Romney and his wife's visit yesterday afternoon.
The party said the Romneys' visit is in anticipation of the caucus on Saipan, Tinian and Rota from 7am to 7pm tomorrow.
“I encourage our brothers and sisters in the NMI and across the United States to extend a warm Hafa Adai to Mr. and Mrs. Romney,” Fitial said.
The governor said that Republicans throughout the CNMI “are very excited for this opportunity to meet and speak with Matt Romney and his wife.”
“While our brothers and sisters in the Continental United States are used to seeing the campaigns front and center, this is the first time our beautiful islands have been visited by a presidential campaign from either party. As a community full of proud Republicans, we are so honored to welcome Mr. Romney and his wife,” he said.
During his recent trip to Washington, D.C. for the National Governors Association meetings, Fitial said he “heard first-hand the message from Governor Romney about the importance of a smaller, simpler, and smarter government.
“The Commonwealth can certainly appreciate that sentiment,” he said. “We are so glad that Governor Romney felt it was so important to see first-hand how the federal government run amok can hurt fellow Americans that he sent his son to hear from the people of the NMI personally in order to understand and report on the challenges we face here in the Pacific.”
Fitial added that he is looking forward to leading the full slate of RPNMIA delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida in August.
After Saipan, the Romneys will be headed for Guam where they will also drum up support for Mitt Romney.
The Republicans' delegate election will be held at the Carolinian Utt in Garapan, Saipan. On Tinian, it will be held at the Tinian Youth Center in San Jose. On Rota, it will be at the Rota Republican Party Headquarters.
Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong, the person-in-charge of the Republican Party of the NMI Association’s 2012 delegate elections, said election will be open to all registered Republicans in the CNMI.
He said Republicans will vote for six of the nine delegates to the national convention. However, there will also be six alternates to ensure a complete slate of delegates.
They will be joined at the national convention by Fitial as party chairman, national committeeman Bo Palacios, and national committeewoman Viola Alepuyo.
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. In 2008, Republican delegates from the CNMI endorsed Sen. John McCain.
No comments:
Post a Comment