Covenant Party (Northern Mariana Islands)

Last updated
Covenant Party
PresidentGreg Camacho
Founder Benigno Fitial [1]
Founded2001 (2001)
Dissolved2013 (2013)
Split from Republican Party
Merged into Republican Party
Ideology Populism
Political position Big tent
Colors  Green
  White

The Covenant Party was a political party in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The party was founded in 2001, splitting from the Republican Party and was dissolved in 2013, with the party merging back into the Republican Party. The party advocated for governmental and financial reform.

Contents

History

2001 – 2008

The party was named after the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, Act of Mar. 24, 1976, Pub. L. 94-241, 90 Stat. 263, codified as amended at 48 U.S.C. § 1801 note.

In the 2003 general election, the Covenant Party won nine of eighteen seats. The party mostly made up of members from the Republican Party, but many prominent Democrats would also join the party. [2]

In the 2005 general elections, the Covenant Party increased its position as one of the strongest parties in the Commonwealth when Benigno R. Fitial, the party's gubernatorial candidate, won the election. The Covenant Party won seven of eighteen seats in the commonwealth's House of Representatives and three of nine seats in its Senate.

In the 2007 general election, the Covenant Party won only four of twenty seats in the House of Representatives. The party maintained three seats in senate. [3]

Scandal

In August 2008, Villagomez was indicted on felony charges relating to the misuse of government funds. [4] On April 24, 2009, he was found guilty along with former Commerce Secretary James A. Santos and his wife Joaquina V. Santos (Villagomez's sister) relating to a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. through needless purchases of a de-scaling chemical called Rydlyme. [5] Awaiting sentencing on July 28, 2009, Villagomez tendered his resignation on April 24. [6]

2009 – 2013

In December 2010, Governor Benigno Fitial proposed that the Covenant Party merge with the Republican Party. [7] [8] Republican and Covenant Party leaders rejected the proposal, and the Covenant Party contested the 2012 general elections. [1] [9] Governor Benigno Fitial would leave the Covenant Party and rejoin the Republican Party, passing leadership to Eloy Inos. [10] In 2012, the Covenant Party endorsed then-independent Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan whom Benigno Fitial wanted replaced with a Republican in the 2012 elections. [10]

In September 2013, Governor Eloy Inos again tried to merge the Covenant Party with the Republican Party. [11] The party is considered dissolved when Inos departed the party and rejoined the Republican Party in 2013. [12] [13] Many left the party soon after, most moving to the Republican Party, making it a Republican Party absorption of the Covenant Party. [14] On August 19, 2021, during an interview on the 2022 gubernatorial election, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios mentioned that the Republican Party did vote to approve the merger in 2013. [13]

Electoral history

CNMI Gubernatorial elections

YearNomineesFirst RoundSecond RoundResult
Governor Lieutenant Governor VotesPercentagePlacement±%VotesPercentagePlacement±%
2005 3,766
27.95%
1stN/ARun-off voting was not implemented yetWon
2009 4,892
36.14%
2ndIncrease2.svg 8.196,610
51.44%
1stN/AWon

CNMI Delegate election

YearCandidateVotesPercentagePlacementResult
2010 Joseph James Norita Camacho 2,744
24.23%
2ndLost

CNMI Territorial Senate elections

YearDistrictCandidateVotesPercentagePlacementResult
2005 Rota 1st Senatorial District (2 seats)Felix Taisacan Mendiola634
23.62%
1stWon
Paterno Songao Hocog599
22.32%
3rdLost
Tinian 2nd Senatorial District (2 seats)Joseph Masga Mendiola583
26.77%
1stWon
Joaquin Hoashi Borja512
23.51%
4thLost
Saipan & Northern Islands 3rd Senatorial District (2 seats)Claudio Kotomar Norita4,270
21.31%
3rdLost
2007 Rota 1st Senatorial District (1 seat)Crispin Manglona Ogo491
37.68%
2ndLost
Tinian 2nd Senatorial District (1 seat)Henry Hofschneider San Nicolas599
55.93%
1stWon
Saipan & Northern Islands 3rd Senatorial District (1 seat)Ramon Santos Dela Cruz1,384
15.53%
4thLost
2009 Tinian 2nd Senatorial District (2 seats)Joaquin Hoashi Borja564
23.04%
3rdLost
Joseph Masga Mendiola (incumbent)549
22.43%
4thLost
Saipan & Northern Islands 3rd Senatorial District (2 seats)Jacinta Matagolai Kaipat2,947
14.90%
3rdLost
Ana Sablan Teregeyo1,768
8.94%
6thLost
2012 Saipan & Northern Islands 3rd Senatorial District (1 seat)Ana Sablan Teregeyo1,225
13.06%
4thLost

CNMI Territorial House of Representatives elections

YearDistrictCandidateVotesPercentagePlacementResult
2005 District 1: Saipan (6 seats)Jacinta Matagolai Kaipat1,891
6.92%
6thWon
Jesus Camacho Muna1,334
4.88%
11thLost
Rose Nelly Taman Ada-Hocog1,330
4.87%
12thLost
Juan Cepeda Deleon Guerrero1,318
4.83%
13thLost
Herman Pangelinan Sablan1,005
3.68%
14thLost
District 2: Saipan (2 seats)Oscar Manglona Babauta600
41.50%
1stWon
Jesus San Nicolas Lizama463
32.05%
2ndWon
District 3: Saipan & Northern Islands (6 seats) Francisco Santos Dela Cruz 1,118
8.49%
4thWon
Absalon Victor, Jr. Waki999
7.59%
6thWon
Melvin Larence Odoshi Faisao964
7.32%
7thLost
Henry Kaipat Rabauliman941
7.14%
8thLost
Howard Iglecias Macaranas917
6.96%
9thLost
District 4: Saipan (2 seats)Gonzalo Quitugua Santos625
18.14%
3rdLost
District 5: Tinian (1 seat)Edwin Palacios Aldan555
52.21%
1stWon
District 6: Rota (1 seat)Crispin Mangloña Ogo833
61.10%
1stWon
2007 District 1: Saipan (6 seats)Rose Nelly Taman Ada-Hocog678
4.47%
10thLost
District 2: Saipan (2 seats) Oscar Manglona Babauta 383
23.97%
1stWon
Raymond Demapan Palacios381
6.92%
2ndWon
District 3: Saipan (6 seats) Francisco "Frank" Santos Dela Cruz 1,109
10.48%
6thWon
David Reyes Maratita915
8.65%
8thLost
District 5: Saipan (2 seats)Ramon Sablan Basa241
8.50%
5thLost
Jesus Camacho Muna186
6.56%
8thLost
District 6: Tinian (1 seats)Edwin Palacios Aldan547
51.65%
1stWon
2009 District 1: Saipan (6 seats) Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio 1,671
9.83%
2ndWon
Vicente Camacho Cabrera993
5.84%
10thLost
Benjamin Matagolai Cepeda918
5.40%
11thLost
Antonia Manibusan Tudela852
5.01%
12thLost
Canice Kaipat Taitano764
4.49%
13thLost
District 2: Saipan (2 seats)Raymond Demapan Palacios (incumbent)494
27.07%
1stWon
Rafael Sablan Demapan381
20.88%
2ndWon
District 3: Saipan (6 seats) Felicidad Taman Ogumoro 1,140
8.48%
4thWon
Edmund Joseph Sablan Villagomez 1,079
8.03%
5thWon
Jesus Mareham Elameto957
7.12%
7thLost
David Reyes Maratita901
6.70%
8thLost
Henry Kaipat Rabauliman864
6.43%
10thLost
District 4: Saipan (2 seats)Sylvestre Ilo Iguel618
23.69%
2ndWon
Thomas Jesus Camacho480
18.40%
4thLost
District 5: Saipan (2 seats)Ramon Sablan Basa664
18.83%
2ndWon
Daniel Ogo Quitugua409
11.60%
6thLost
District 6: Tinian (1 seat)Edwin Palacios Aldan (incumbent)550
45.80%
2ndLost
2012 District 1: Saipan (6 seats)Martin Cabrera Sablan1,060
6.64%
7thLost
District 2: Saipan (2 seats)John Paul Palacios Sablan547
28.40%
1stWon
Rafael Sablan Demapan (incumbent)521
27.05%
2ndWon
District 2: Saipan (2 seats) Edmund Joseph Sablan Villagomez (incumbent)963
7.61%
4thWon
Brian Ayuyu Torres362
2.86%
16thLost
District 4: Saipan (2 seats)Christopher Duenas Leon Guerrero639
30.47%
1stWon

CNMI Mayoral elections

YearDistrictCandidateVotesPercentagePlacementResult
2005 Mayor - Saipan Juan Borja Tudela 3,786
35.75%
1stWon
Mayor - Tinian and AguiguanJose Pangelinan Borja San Nicolas560
57.76%
1stWon
Mayor - Rota Joseph Songao Inos 511
36.11%
1stWon
2009 Mayor - Tinian & AquiguanJose Pangelinan Borja San Nicolas (incumbent)565
44.81%
2ndLost
Mayor - Northern IslandsRamona Taisakan Rebuenog68
49.64%
2ndLost

References

  1. 1 2 Eugenio, Haidee (March 25, 2011). "10-year-old Covenant Party to field candidates for 2012 midterm polls". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013.
  2. Staff, Variety News (10 December 2020). "Editorials | What's in a name". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  3. Dandan, Zaldy (8 January 2021). "Variations | If you're keeping score". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  4. Sebastian, Stefan (2008-08-12). "Villagomez, 3 others indicted". Saipan Tribune . Archived from the original on 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  5. "Saipan Tribune". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  6. "Villagomez resigns". Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  7. "Covenant, GOP to merge", Saipan Tribune, 2010-12-10 Archived 2012-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Center, Pacific News (2010-12-12). "CNMI's GOP Cautious About Proposed Merger With Covenant Party". PNC News First. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  9. Eugenio, Haidee (October 27, 2012). "Today's rally brings together Covenants, Dems, independents". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  10. 1 2 Staff, Variety News (24 March 2012). "BREAKING NEWS: Inos, Covenant Party endorse Kilili". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  11. Eugenio, Haidee (September 19, 2013). "Inos, Covenant Party members rejoining GOP". Saipan Tribune . Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  12. Eugenio, Haidee (19 September 2013). "Inos, Covenant Party members rejoining GOP". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  13. 1 2 Erediano, Emmanuel T. (20 August 2021). "Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios will 'most likely' run for governor with Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang as his running-mate". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  14. "Lee Pan wants to be next Saipan mayor". Saipan Tribune. 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-12-19.