CNMI Republican gubernatorial candidates Gov. Ralph Torres and Sen. Vinnie Sablan closed out the three-night town hall hosted by the Northern Marianas College on Saipan.

Candidates, your question is, how do you intend to confront the likelihood of the second wave of  furloughs for the CNMi workers given the the expiration of ARPA funds?  It's a question everyone is asking. And it was asked at the last night of the Northern Marianas College's gubernatorial town hall. Republicans took the stage for the last time. 

Gov. Torres said, "Right now we have our tourism. I have spent money, ARPA funds, understanding that tourism is not going to happen next month. That is why we have so much investment to bring in our Japanese market, our Korean market, and with MVA I am so proud that they just approved another destination, for CNMI tourist sources, for Australia, perhaps even Philippine, and Vietnam."

Torres says its making that investment into the NMI's bread and butter that will strengthen the island's backbone to withstand any further hits, be it typhoons of public health emergencies.

Sablan noted, "We come from a small island...the pool is very limited so we need to build a program to find out what we need from foreign skilled workers, how to build our own local capacity, and how that is going to work to sustain the future of this Commonwealth."

The Republican team is putting their plans up against Independent candidates Lt. Gov. Arnold Palacios and Mayor David Apatang and House Democrats Tina Sablan and Leila Staffler. If none of those teams get 50% plus 1 of the votes in November, there will be a run off election.