Camacho-Deleon Guerrero ticket opens campaign HQ, touts people-first platform

Independent gubernatorial candidates Lawrence F. Camacho and Edith Deleon Guerrero officially opened their campaign headquarters last Monday evening, July 27, saying the office will serve as an accessible gathering place for residents while outlining a people-centered platform and, later in the program, what Camacho described as a "paradigm shift" in how the CNMI government operates.

Camacho said establishing a headquarters—located north of Quartermaster Road near the Japanese Tank Memorial at the intersection with Beach Road—was among the campaign committee's early priorities because it would give volunteers a place to organize while providing the public with direct access to the candidates.

"When we established the committee to elect, we did make it a priority to make sure that we have a space," Camacho said. "It is really our priority... to be very accessible. We want to be out there reaching out to the community, listening to them really well... and then be able to kind of formulate and continue to refine our platform."

He said the headquarters would also allow residents to stop by daily, ask questions, and share concerns and ideas with the campaign.

Deleon Guerrero echoed that message, saying the office is intended to be a welcoming venue for the public.

"I think, you know, it's a space where people can get comfortable and just be open and talk to us about whatever issues that bothers them, and we're here to listen to them so that we can all work together for a better Commonwealth," she said.

The independent ticket said it intentionally slowed its campaign rollout following the devastation caused by super typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi, choosing to remain mindful of the Commonwealth's recovery efforts.

"We're very sensitive and considerate of that," Camacho said. "It's the reason why we didn't officially announce until after a lot of the things that were happening during recovery after Sinlaku."

Deleon Guerrero added, "Everybody's aware about the recovery effort that's going on in all three islands, and we're very respectful of that. We are very mindful of it as well."

Camacho said the independent slate intends to distinguish itself from the other gubernatorial tickets.

"This choice is remarkably different from the other two tickets," he said. "It's no longer the usual way. It's the way of trying to just be focused on the issues and then get after the issues and address them accordingly."

He also emphasized that public service, rather than political office, is the campaign's motivation.

"This is not a position and title that we're after. We're really after the opportunity to serve," Camacho said.

Deleon Guerrero said the pair's combined backgrounds in education, the military, banking, insurance, and public service have helped shape their platform.

"This team comes together with a certain quality that we could definitely move the Commonwealth forward," she said.

The candidates said their platform is available through their Facebook page, Camacho Deleon Guerrero 2026, with printed copies to be made available at the headquarters.

Campaign chair Preston Basa said opening the headquarters required several weeks of preparation after the campaign secured the site.

"This headquarters was actually... three weeks in the working," Basa said. "After we had secured the spot, it took kind of a while to get everything in place so that we can get power and get things going. But we're finally happy to get it up and running."

Basa said the campaign has remained focused on helping residents recover from the recent typhoons while continuing to organize politically.

"They were out there reaching our people and seeing the struggles that they were facing," Basa said. "A lot of their work to this day has been very personal and authentic... we're people first, right? And we're putting them first."

Speaking later during the headquarters opening program, Camacho said the campaign envisions "a paradigm shift in the way the government operates," adding that residents would play a central role in shaping policies rather than government making decisions in isolation.

The Camacho-Deleon Guerrero ticket is scheduled to file its nominating petitions with the Commonwealth Election Commission on Aug. 4 before formally launching its campaign rally.