Kuatro na Gayu
På'go na såkkan mandesnik kuatro na gayu:
Dos gi bandan Republican:
Si Margaret Metcalfe, un komesetiante, ya ha chagi tumague si Bordallo gi ma'pos'ña na såkkan. Gof hihot gui' gi as Calvo, i Maga'låhen Guahan på'go.
Si Felix Camacho, eståba na senådot yan Maga'låhen Guahan. Si tatå-ña i uttimo na ma'apunta yan i fine'nina na ma'ilihi na Maga'låhen Guahan. Si Camacho yan i familia-ña, umachågo' yan i familian Calvo, achokka' sumisiha gi parehu na patida.
Dos gi bandan Democrat:
Si Madeleine Bordallo, guiya i incumbent. Humålom gi pulitikat na bånda giya Guahan fine'nina komo asaguan i senådot yan eståba na Maga'lahen Guahan, Ricky Bordallo. Lao ma'ilihi gui' lokkue' komo senådora yan ha ayuda si Maga'låhi Carl Guiterrez annai ma'ilihi gui' komo i segundo Maga'låhi. Esta katotse na años na sumsesetbe gui' giya Washington D.C.
Si Tony Babauta, eståba macho'cho' gui' gi Department of Interior giya Washington D.C. yan ha fa'cho'chu'i lokkue' si Madeleine Bordallo (anai eståba gui' gi Liheslaturan Guahan) yan si Robert Underwood (anai eståba gui' i ti mambobota na kongreson Guahan). Anai macho'cho'cho' gui' gi DOI ha ayuda chumuliyi Guahan meggai na salapen Federåt.
Guini papa' singko na tinige' gaseta pat news put este na karrera. Este na tinige' muna'klåru na si Bordallo yan si Camacho i bulaka yan bulako gi botasion, sa' gof gof matungo' siha yan i na'an-ñiha.
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Metcalfe calls out Camacho for refusing debate
by Jac Perry Guzman
8/16/16
Guam Daily Post
A Republican candidate for the office of Guam delegate, Margaret Metcalfe has invited her primary-election opponent, former Gov. Felix Camacho, to a debate on issues surrounding the delegate position.
In a letter addressed to Camacho, Metcalfe stated the benefits such a debate could have for the people of Guam. "It is important for voters to hear our ideas to advance Guam's issues in Washington, D.C.," she wrote.
The letter was dated Aug. 8.
Maria Camacho, spokeswoman for the Camacho campaign, told the Post on Aug. 12 that the former governor would not be participating in the debate. Maria Camacho told the Post that Gov. Camacho's record in the legislature and as a two-term governor speaks for itself, and that the campaign saw no benefit in attending the debate.
Metcalfe held a press conference yesterday afternoon and invited members of the media to discuss Felix Camacho’s refusal to debate with her, saying it is a disservice to the people and that she intends to move forward with a public forum in Felix Camacho’s absence.
During the press conference, Metcalfe said, “We have had little to no representation in the last 14 years. In Washington, you need to know who your allies are and who your opponents are.”
Metcalfe said of Camacho, “My opponent chose to say some untruths about me late last week. I think this says a lot to his credibility.”
She claims at an open forum this past weekend people in the crowd noticed the opponents and asked, “What about a debate?”
According to Metcalfe, Felix Camacho said, “Be careful what you ask for.”
'We all deserve better'
“We all deserve better," Metcalfe said yesterday. "We deserve to know who our candidates are, where they stand on the issues and we deserve to have our questions answered. In that spirit I am calling out once again to my opponent asking if we might have a debate in an open forum so that we can better serve our voters.”
Felix Camacho told the Post, “A party primary debate for the Washington delegate position serves no purpose for me.”
Felix Camacho, who served two terms as governor and four terms as a senator in the Guam Legislature, said a debate would serve Metcalfe’s purposes and not his.
“She came on scene three years ago and ran for delegate as an unknown and as a part of the Calvo/Tenorio gubernatorial run,” he said. “Two years later, she’s back and working as the liaison in D.C.”
“My credentials far outweigh hers. She is the one who needs the exposure,” Felix Camacho said.
Metcalfe said, “The people have choices to make this Aug. 27. We owe it to them to give them as much information and provide them with as much as we can to make that decision easier for them.”
Metcalfe added, "I think it’s a little bit much to expect people to think that because you have served once before in a local capacity that you’re qualified to represent them at a time that is so critical in our history and not come to the table and show where your strengths are. I think our people need to see where our strengths and our weaknesses are.”
Metcalfe said she is open to a public forum.
'I've done more'
During her tenure as the liaison at the government of Guam office in Washington, she has visited and had meetings with Health and Human Services, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Commerce, the White House and Department of Interior.
“We have made every effort to reach out to these people,” said Metcalfe. “I’ve done more in six months than some people have done in 16 years.”
In early July, Democratic congressional delegate candidate Tony Babauta similarly challenged incumbent Delegate Madeline Bordallo to a debate over the differences in their campaigns.
Bordallo declined to participate. Her campaign pointed at Bordallo's longstanding practice of avoiding intra-party debates for the sake of overall party unity come the general election.
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Metcalfe again challenges Camacho to a debate
by Shawn Raymundo
PDN
8/15/16
Guam Republican delegate hopeful Margaret Metcalfe on Monday continued to challenge her Republican opponent, former Gov. Felix Camacho, to a debate before this month’s Primary Election.
Camacho, a two-term governor and four-term Guam senator, has said it’s been his long-standing practice not to debate fellow GOP members before a primary race, believing inner-party debates are unnecessary.
“Our policy and position on debating is a closed issue,” Jerry Crisostomo, Camacho’s campaign chairman, said Monday.
“We will gladly debate our Democratic opponent should Gov. Camacho succeed to the General Election,” Crisostomo later wrote in an email.
Guam Del. Madeleine Bordallo, a Democrat, is seeking her eighth consecutive term. She's currently facing former Assistant Secretary of the Interior Tony Babauta for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming Primary Election.
Babauta recently challenged Bordallo to a debate, but Bordallo also declined, saying she does not debate members of her own party.
The island’s voters, Metcalfe stated, deserve to hear from both Republican candidates so they can make an informed decision before heading to the polls. To give voters that opportunity, Metcalfe, who is Gov. Eddie Calvo’s liaison to his Washington, D.C., office, renewed her call for a debate.
“We all deserve better. We deserve to know who are candidates are. We deserve to know where they stand on the issues. We deserve to have our questions answered,” Metcalfe said during a press conference at Java Junction in Hagåtña.
“(Voters) have choices to make this Aug. 27,” she added. “We owe it to them to get them as much information and provide them with as much as we can to make that decision easier for them.”
Camacho recently said he’d let his public service record speak for his qualifications to hold Congressional office.
The Camacho camp on Monday further noted that part of its campaign has involved canvassing villages and passing out brochures to explain Camacho’s platform and position on federal issues like energy, national security, health care and federal funding.
“As a member of U.S. House of Representatives, Felix will work to advance policies designed to encourage economic growth and job creation in Guam and the territories, restore accountability and transparency in the federal government and ensure that the tax dollars that come from Washington, D.C., are spent more wisely, efficiently and effectively,” the brochure states.
Metcalfe said she is critical of that approach, stating candidates can’t convince voters they’re capable of the job simply by having them, “hear the stories and the struggles.” She said Camacho may actually have positive ideas, but the public won’t know about them unless he holds a debate.
Metcalfe said she’s open to anything and everything that will help her reach out to voters, such has holding her own public forum. If Camacho won't debate, Metcalfe said, she will visit Guam’s villages and meet with their leaders at various events.
“I will seek other areas of meeting with the village leaders, going from village to village, going to different events, offering to answer any questions and all questions that come my way,” she said.
In her initial letter last week, challenging Camacho to a debate, Metcalfe said voters should hear them talk about his eight years in Adelup and her short time at the D.C. office as it relates to the job of delegate.
Reiterating a recent statement from Esther Kia'aina, Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Metcalfe said federal lawmakers are “a newer and younger breed” who aren’t aware of Guam’s issues, let alone “who we are, where we are and how important we are to the balance of power and peace to the Western Pacific.”
“I’ve done a lot more in six months I think than people have done in 14 years,” Metcalfe said about her work in Washington.
Employees at the governor's office have been helping Metcalfe issue public statements related to her campaign.
Metcalfe said Calvo, who is head of the island's Republican Party, hasn’t endorsed either candidate for the delegate seat. "I do know that we see a lot of things on the same side of the issues," she said.
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Tony Babauta Wants to be Guam's Voice in Congress
by Ken Quintanilla
June 27, 2016
KUAM News
With years of federal experience behind him, former assistant secretary of the Department of the Interior Tony Babauta is stepping forward to be Guam's voice in our nation's capital. "Manilu-hu, it's time for us to move forward," Babauta announced at the Guam Election Commission's headquarters in Hagatna this morning. "It's for new leadership. It's time for a proud Islander with federal experience to be our voice in Washington, DC, and I want to be your voice."
And with family and friends behind him, he celebrated his 47th birthday by filing his candidacy to run as Guam's delegate to Congress. And while his plans to run came as a surprise to many democrats including one of his mentors Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, Babauta says having proven himself by moving up from student to graduate. "My generation is stepping-up and we can provide continuity, fresh energy, and a renewed sense of purpose and fight in Washington, DC," he said.
Babauta says he'll fight for our military veterans to equity in government programs. As for war claims, Babauta says he won't make any promises because he believes this is an issue that should have been resolved years ago. "I applaud Ms. Bordallo for every effort she has made to resolve this, but she should've taken the deal," he stated. "It's tough to resurrect a deal that's no longer there but I'll try my best."
Babauta says he's experienced the best of Washington, DC and lived through its worst. He served as the assistant secretary between 2009 to 2013 and resigned following an Office of Inspector General probe into his travels and activities. Babauta continued, "The pinnacle of serving at the highest level of government and the lows of hand-to-hand combat to preserve my reputation and record in a tough town. I survived, and I'm willing to return. No one has walked the halls of Congress, written policy, or wrestled with the federal bureaucracy like I have, and I promise I will fight for you."
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Bordallo disappointed by Babauta's decision to join congressional race
Press Release (Published in the Saipan Tribute)
Office of Congresswoman Bordallo
May 19, 2016
Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo said she’s disappointed that former Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Tony Babauta will run against her in the race for the U.S. territory’s lone non-voting delegate seat in U.S. Congress.
“Since Tony started his work for me when I was in the Guam Legislature to his time as a professional staff member on the House Natural Resources Committee as well as during his time as the Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas, Tony has made no secret of his desire to run for public office on Guam. I have always supported his aspirations and given him guidance and counsel based on my five terms as a senator in the Guam Legislature, two terms as lieutenant governor, and seven terms as Guam’s Delegate to Congress”
Bordallo said as Babauta’s biggest advocate to become the Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas and someone who supported him through the good and difficult times in that position, she’s disappointed by Babauta’s decision to potentially run against her this election.
“Regardless, if he files his paperwork by the late June deadline, I look forward to a spirited campaign where I can highlight my record of service and achievements for the people of Guam as well as my vision for Guam’s future. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve our community throughout my life, and I hope the people of Guam will continue to place their faith in me, just as they have done throughout my 40 years of service to them.”
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Former Gov. Felix Camacho officially Guam delegate contender
by Shawn Raymundo
PDN
April 6, 2016
Former Gov. Felix Camacho has officially entered this year’s race for Guam’s delegate seat in Washington, D.C.
In February, Pacific Daily News reported that Camacho had picked up candidate paperwork with the Guam Election Commission and was likely to run. The GOP hopeful recently registered with the federal election office, officially making him a contender.
“I’m definitely running,” Camacho said, adding that he plans to file his local paperwork with the GEC later this month.
Currently, Camacho is running unopposed as a Republican in the primary election, and is poised to face off against Guam Del. Madeleine Bordallo, a seven-term incumbent for the Democratic party, this November.
However, Margaret Metcalfe, the 2014 Republican candidate for Guam’s representative on Capitol Hill, has expressed interest in running again. Metcalfe told PDN on Tuesday she was likely to make her final decision that evening after discussing the potential campaign with her family.
Camacho said Metcalfe had told him that she was considering running during the Republican Party of Guam’s convention last month.
The convention was held to select the delegates to attend the Republican National Convention where the nation’s Republicans are to nominate their candidate for the presidential race.
“She did tell me she’s running, so that’s fine and looking forward to it,” Camacho said. “I’ve been through many primaries in the past. I’ve experienced this before, it’s no problem.”
Last week, Metcalfe described how she differs from Camacho. She said she’s remained active within Guam’s Republican party, staying informed on GOP issues both nationally and locally, whereas the former governor hasn’t.
“We’re both Republicans running on the Republican ticket, but for the past couple of years (Camacho) has chosen not to be active in the Republican party,” she previously said. “We need to have a communication, you know? He sort of promotes the idea of communication, but if you don’t communicate with people than you lose that end of the argument.”
Camacho called her comments “irrelevant” and cited his years of public service as a member of the Republican party.
“My father was one of the founders of the Republican party. I have been a Cabinet member dating back to (Gov.) Joseph Ada’s administration. I have been a senator and two-term governor. Those speak for itself.”
Former Gov. Ada appointed Camacho as deputy director to the Public Utility Agency of Guam in 1988, before it became the Guam Waterworks Authority. He later served as executive director of the Civil Service Commission.
In 1992, Camacho was elected senator to the 22nd Guam Legislature where he served for two more terms before becoming Gov. Ada’s running mate in 1998 against former Gov. Carl Gutierrez and Madeleine Bordallo. Ada and Camacho lost the race.
Camacho was re-elected senator in 2000, serving as assistant majority leader.
In 2002, he ran a successful campaign for governor with Kaleo Moylan as his running mate. In his bid for a second term, Camacho selected Sen. Michael Cruz as his running mate, and defeated Democratic candidates Robert Underwood and Sen. Frank Aguon Jr.
According to Guampedia, Camacho’s father and former Gov. Carlos Camacho co-founded the Republican Party of Guam in 1966 with former Gov. Joseph Flores and former Lt. Gov. Kurt Moylan. The local Republican party was birthed from the former Territorial Party of Guam.
PDN reporter Maria Hernandez contributed to this story.
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