Sen. Manny Gregory Tenorio Castro has left the Democratic Party and joined the CNMI GOP, announcing his support for the gubernatorial team of former governor Ralph DLG Torres and former Kagman High School principal Benjamin Jones Jr. The announcement came during a gathering Saturday at the Capital Hill home of former Department of Public Safety commissioner Ambrosio Ogumoro.
Castro, who said he is a relative of Torres, told supporters his decision reflects long‑held conservative values and concerns about the direction of government. His announcement was welcomed by the mostly Republican crowd.
“After being in the Legislature, you look at social media and think someone is good. But when you look deeper, you realize the person you think is good is actually worse,” Castro said. “Our government really needs to be overhauled. We need to move it forward.”
He said the Torres–Jones ticket is better positioned to rebuild the economy. “They know how to bring in the money and build a workforce,” he said. “There’s a lot of people who like to talk, but these individuals can make things happen.”
Castro urged voters to look beyond online narratives. “Don’t believe everything on the surface. Meet with the individual. Get to know people,” he said. “It’s easy to vilify people online. You can be a good leader, but if you surround yourself with bad influences, it trickles down.”
