Candidates for Guam Delegate face off in congressional debate

The candidates for Guam Delegate took to the podium inside the Encore Theater at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Tumon overnight.

In their first debate ahead of the general election, there was no holding back from either side, as candidates spoke on issues important to Guam. 

From military buildup concerns.

James Moylan: Every concern that is brought from the island is relayed back to the Joint Region Marianas. It is important for the military to ensure that this is done correctly. We want the buildup to happen for the protection of the island but most importantly we want to make sure it’s done right.

Ginger Cruz: I would have an open door policy to ensure that the issues that are faced for our environment and for our land must be respected and must be incorporated, and I believe that the US military will listen to those and will incorporate them. But it has to be done through aggressive dialogue…

To keeping the tip of the spear safe.

Moylan: If we don’t have the military here we are an open target. This will make our island safer. Making our island safer makes it for our community, makes it safer for businesses that want to come in, makes it safer for our nation as well.

Cruz: We need to take care of the homeland. Right now we need to be fighting for significantly more help for both Civil Defense, Homeland Security and our national guard so we can ensure that we are prepared.

Candidates for Guam delegate, James Moylan and Ginger Cruz, face off in their first debate ahead of the November 5th general election.

Cruz: To promote economic growth, the first thing that we need to do is we need to look to Asia because that is an area where the federal government is doing more and more work. They are building up opportunities in the Philippines and Korea and Japan. It’s right next to Guam because we are America in the Pacific. So we need to start looking to the areas that are close to us and make Guam the bridge so that we are not only a military buildup location for the U.S. – so that we are an economic buildup location.

Moylan: Again we make Guam safe. Asia definitely wants to come and be part of this. We need to make it less expensive for them to come. We need out ports and shipping lines to come in as well. This is important to start business going. When as a senator in the 35th and 36th Guam Legislature, we also looked at tax breaks for these companies to come as well. There’s continuous opportunities to make Guam safe, make it safe for the people of Guam, make it safe for investors to come to Guam and we can protect this INDOPACOM area.

Both also addressed questions about utilities, the economy and education among many more in the 90-minute debate.

By the end of it, Cruz shared her key moments via press release claiming she outperformed the incumbent.

Moylan’s post debate response took a different tone stating he was happy to share his accomplishments.

We will have more coverage from the debate throughout this week. 

You can watch the debate now on KUAM’s Facebook and YouTube channel. 

There will be another chance to see the delegate candidates face off during the candidate forum presented by the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce & Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association.

The forum will be held on Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. inside the Hyatt Regency Guam in Tumon. 

Tickets are now on sale at guamwomenschamber.com.

James Moylan post-debate statement:

 
Ginger Cruz post-debate statement: