Guam Daily Post: https://www.postguam.com/news/local/limtiaco-takes-questions-alone-moylan-skips-saturdays-debate/article_1a89c314-be5b-48d3-8b2f-65e86f53a813.html
Alicia Limtiaco sat alone Saturday before members of the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce, answering questions and laying out her priorities for Guam's congressional race after Republican incumbent Guam Del. James Moylan did not attend the debate.
Moylan, who is seeking another term as Guam's delegate to Congress, was in Washington preparing for the upcoming congressional session, which was scheduled to start Aug. 31.
Limtiaco, representing the Democratic Party of Guam, said candidates seeking public office have a responsibility to show up when voters are provided an opportunity to question them.
"I believe that any person who runs for office, public office, makes a commitment to be transparent and accountable to our community, to our voters, and to our families," Limtiaco said after the forum.
"We have a responsibility to do that. And so being present, being here, is not a question. We should be here."
Limtiaco used the forum to make the case for her experience and for a more assertive approach to Guam's interests in Washington.
"Guam needs a delegate who will ensure Guam's priorities come first in Washington, not Washington's priorities first in Guam," she said.
Limtiaco pointed to more than 30 years of work as a prosecutor, attorney general, U.S. attorney, educator, attorney, businessperson, and regulatory counsel with the Supreme Court of Guam.
She said that experience has prepared her to confront complicated issues, work across agencies and jurisdictions, and advocate for people who need the government to work for them.
"I am a fighter, an advocate, and a public servant who prepares, persists, and does not stop when the work becomes hard," she said.
Limtiaco said her congressional priorities would center on "fairness, resilience, and opportunity."
Fairness, she said, includes fighting for equal treatment under federal law in areas such as Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, veterans care, education, and healthcare.
Resilience would mean leveraging Guam's strategic importance to secure long-term federal investments in power, water, communications, healthcare, emergency response, and disaster preparedness "without leaving local taxpayers to carry national burdens alone," she said.
She also said Guam's businesses and workers should have greater opportunities to participate in federal contracts and investments.
Limtiaco said the island's strategic position should translate into tangible economic opportunities for residents, allowing people to build careers and succeed without having to leave Guam.
The candidate also emphasized the importance of working across party lines.
She said a successful delegate needs to build bipartisan coalitions before votes are needed, hold federal agencies accountable, and remain involved until commitments become results.
"If a party position conflicts with Guam's interest, I am clear: I choose Guam," she said.
Limtiaco also promised greater communication with Guam residents if elected, saying voters should not have to wonder what their delegate is doing in Washington.
"You deserve to know what legislation is moving, what funds are secured, what agencies are engaged, what benchmarks are met, and what obstacles remain," she said.
After the forum, Limtiaco said she welcomed the questions and the opportunity to hear directly from the business community.
She said her campaign has focused heavily on personal interaction, speaking with residents, listening to their concerns, and learning from their experiences.
"I'm not an expert in everything," she said. "I firmly believe that the best decisions are decisions made with the most information that is available to us; that we seek it, and we use all of that information to make good judgment calls about what would be in the best interests of our people and our community here in Guam."
The Women's Chamber did not provide questions in advance, Limtiaco said, but she said candidates should already be familiar with the issues confronting Guam's families and businesses.
"I think that we're paying attention, right? And we want to be alert. We want to listen. We want to pay attention," she said.
Limtiaco was also asked whether voters who supported her in her previous successful campaign for attorney general might still be inclined to support her more than a decade later.
She said she hoped her record would speak for itself, including for people who did not vote for her.
"I would hope that the people, and even for those that did not vote for me, after serving in office, that they had come to the conclusion that I did my very best to promote and protect the interests of our community," Limtiaco said.
She cited enforcing laws, providing services, and working with multidisciplinary coalitions as parts of that record.
The forum was part of the Guam Women's Chamber of Commerce's effort to put candidates before the business community and allow voters to hear directly from those seeking office.
With Moylan absent, however, the congressional portion became a one-candidate presentation rather than a direct exchange between the two candidates.
Limtiaco closed by asking for the support and trust of Guam voters, saying she has the experience and determination to begin advocating for the island immediately.
"I have the determination, the experience, and the proven ability to fight for the island from day one," she said.