Mitt Romney and Northern Mariana Islands GOP
Before the results are announced for the Republican caucuses in Kansas, it was confirmed that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney would pick nine delegates in Guam and another nine in the Northern Mariana Islands.
Although the United States Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam will not garner much attention akin to Saturday night’s Kansas caucuses or this week’s Super Tuesday event, they will contribute 27 delegates – a significant portion in this primary season.
It was announced Saturday that former Governor Mitt Romney would be awarded nine delegates in Guam. The vote was unanimous as 207 of the 215 registered Republications at their annual convention supported Romney.
Guam’s delegates represent a fraction of the 1.144 delegates needed to win and they are unpledged as well. Nevertheless, as the Romney campaign pointed out, it is another milestone for the former governor and his quest for the GOP nomination.
“I am grateful to have won all nine delegates in Guam, and I am pleased that my son Matt was able to visit the island on my behalf and be there for the caucuses” – said Romney in a press release. “The people of Guam have always stood bravely for America and the values we hold dear. Today we stand together in our efforts to secure the future that this nation deserves.”
Mitt Romney.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the Guam and Northern Mariana Island caucuses Saturday, securing all 18 delegates.
Mr. Romney noted the importance of winning caucuses in a region well outside of U.S. boundaries Saturday, as Guam is just over 1.600 miles north of Australia. Most of the Republican voters in the U.S. territories are U.S. military personnel.
“The people of Guam have always stood bravely for America and the values we hold dear” – said Mr. Romney in a statement. “I am honored to have won the Guam caucuses, an important milestone in my quest to restore America to the principles and practices that made us great.”
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum finished the Northern Mariana Island caucuses in second place with six percent of the votes. He was trailed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who were both tied with three percent in the island caucuses.
The former Massachusetts governor sent his son, Matt Romney, to the islands to give a campaign speech leading up to the caucuses on Saturday.
“I’m obviously thrilled that it’s a unanimous decision” – said Matt Romney, in reaction to his father’s victory.
Mr. Romney himself also visited Saipan, the largest of the 15 different Northern Mariana islands, and attended a private event with the islands’ governor, Benigno Fitial, The New York Post reports.
“Now the voters of the Northern Mariana Islands nearly 8.000 miles from Washington, D.C. have spoken. And what they’ve said today is that they want to bring change to their beautiful islands by bringing change to our nation’s capital” – said Mr. Romney at the event.
The win gives Mr. Romney 9 more delegates to add to his total.
None of Mr. Romney’s rival candidates visited Guam or the Northern Marianas. Their absence shows Mr. Romney’s huge spending advantage in the primary, an aspect of his campaign that has been highly criticized by his rival candidates.
“The Northern Mariana Islands may be far away from the mainland, but one of the great things about our democracy is that every voice has a chance to be heard in selecting a presidential candidate” – said Mr. Romney.
Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney claimed victory in Saturday caucuses in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, saying he secured support of all 18 delegates at stake in the US Pacific territories.
“The people of Guam have always stood bravely for America and the values we hold dear” – Romney said in a statement. “I am honored to have won the Guam caucuses, an important milestone in my quest to restore America to the principles and practices that made us great.”
All 251 delegates from the island’s 19 villages backed Romney, who sent his son Matt to Guam and the nearby Northern Marianas to campaign on his behalf.
“I’m obviously thrilled that it’s a unanimous decision” – Matt Romney said.
Guam, which is to host 4.700 US Marines being transferred from Okinawa, sees the military build-up as an economic salvation, and Matt Romney noted his father was “very much in favor of having a strong military.”
The Marines who took Guam in a bloody 1944 World War II battle reinstated the island as a “non-governing US territory,” meaning its 180.000 population enjoys US citizenship but cannot vote in US presidential elections.
However, they can vote for the delegates sent to the party conventions and “our votes count especially in a close process of the presidential candidate nomination” – said Guam Governor Edward Calvo.
Calvo, who will lead the nine delegates to the Republican National Convention in August, said it was important for the island to see “how much enthusiasm” the candidates have for Guam issues.
Romney also picked up all nine delegates in the western Pacific US territory of Northern Mariana Islands winning 740 of the 848 votes cast, with 53 votes for Rick Santorum, 28 for Ron Paul and 27 for Newt Gingrich.
“The Northern Mariana Islands may be far away from the mainland, but one of the great things about our democracy is that every voice has a chance to be heard in selecting a presidential candidate” – Romney said in a statement.
“What they’ve said today is that they want to bring change to their beautiful islands by bringing change to our nation’s capital.”