| Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands | |
|---|---|
| Type | Lieutenant Governor |
| Formation | January 9, 1978 |
| First holder | Francisco Castro Ada |
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has a self-governing government consisting of a locally elected governor, lieutenant governor and the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. [1]
The current lieutenant governor is David M. Apatang, since January 9, 2023.
| Image | Lieutenant Governor | Lived | Party | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francisco Castro Ada | (1934–2010) | Democratic | January 9, 1978 – January 11, 1982 | |
 | Pedro A. Tenorio | (b. 1941) | Republican | January 11, 1982 – January 8, 1990 |
| Benjamin Manglona | (1938–2016) | Republican | January 8, 1990 – January 10, 1994 | |
| Jesus C. Borja | (b. 1948) | Democratic | January 10, 1994 – January 12, 1998 | |
| Jesus R. Sablan | (b. 1952) | Republican | January 12, 1998 – January 14, 2002 | |
 | Diego Benavente | (b. 1959) | Republican | January 14, 2002 – January 9, 2006 |
 | Timothy Villagomez | (b. 1962) | Covenant | January 9, 2006 – April 24, 2009 |
| Office vacant April 24 – May 1, 2009 | ||||
 | Eloy Inos | (1949–2015) | Covenant | May 1, 2009 – February 20, 2013 |
 | Jude Hofschneider | (b. 1966) | Republican | February 20, 2013 – January 12, 2015 |
 | Ralph Torres | (b. 1979) | Republican | January 12, 2015 – December 29, 2015 |
| Victor Hocog | (b. 1953) | Republican | December 29, 2015 – January 14, 2019 | |
 | Arnold Palacios | (b. 1955) | Republican | January 14, 2019 – January 9, 2023 |
| Independent | ||||
 | David M. Apatang | (b. 1948) | Independent | January 9, 2023 – Present |
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|---|
Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic system, whereby the Governor is head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Northern Mariana Islands is an unincorporated territory of the United States, and in a political union with it in the form of a commonwealth. Executive power is exercised by the governor. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the legislature. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Local government is carried out through three regional mayors.
General elections were held in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) on Saturday, 5 November 2005, electing the governor and Legislature. There was also a referendum on calling a Constitutional Convention, which was approved by voters. The gubernatorial election was the closest in the commonwealth's history, and resulted in the election of Benigno Fitial, narrowly defeating independent Heinz Hofschneider by 84 votes and incumbent Republican Governor Juan N. Babauta by an additional 98 votes. This would be the last year that the gubernatorial race would work in a first-past-the-post voting system as it would be reformed to work under a two-round system for the 2009 general elections. This election made commonwealth history by electing both the territory's first Carolinian governor and its first third party governor.
Benigno Repeki Fitial is a Northern Marianan politician who served was the sixth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. The second longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Fitial was elected on November 6, 2005, assumed office on January 9, 2006, and was re-elected to a (five-year) second term in 2009. He was impeached by the CNMI House of Representatives on February 11, 2013, and was scheduled to face trial before the CNMI Senate to determine if he should be removed from office. He resigned on February 20, 2013, after 7 years, 1 month, and 11 days in office.
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is the governing document of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ("CNMI"). Its creation was required by the covenant between the United States and the CNMI. It was drafted at a local constitutional convention in 1976, approved by territorial voters in a referendum on March 6, 1977, and became effective January 9, 1978.
Pedro Agulto Tenorio, who is often known as Pete A. Tenorio, is a Northern Marianan politician. He served as the fourth Resident representative of the Northern Mariana Islands to the United States from January 14, 2002 to January 3, 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the office first in November 2001 and again in November 2005. He served as the second lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from January 11, 1982 to January 8, 1990.
General elections were held in the Northern Mariana Islands on 3 November 2007, concurrently with a double referendum. The Republican Party won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, and both referendums were approved. This election would mark the last time that the Democrats would win a legislative seat until the 2020 general election.
The 2009 Northern Mariana Islands general election was held on Saturday, November 7, 2009. This was the last general election to be held on a odd year. This election also saw the extension all office holding officials by one year to move the elections to even-years, corresponding with the elections of other federal and state offices, including the nationwide United States House of Representatives elections and the United States general elections. This election also oversaw the first run-off to be held in the Northern Mariana Islands, which were held on Monday, November 23, 2009. Benigno Fitial became the first governor to win a second term since 1985 and the first time a candidate won a majority since 1993 thanks to the newly implemented run-off voting system.
Eulogio "Eloy" Songao Inos was a Northern Marianan politician who served as the seventh governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from 2013 to 2015. Inos, a member of the Republican Party, also served as the eighth lieutenant governor from 2009 to 2013.
Lorenzo Iglecias "Larry" De Leon Guerrero was a Northern Mariana Islander politician who served as the third governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from 1990 to 1994 and the first president of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate from 1978 to 1980. He was a member of the CNMI Republican Party.
Arnold Indalecio Palacios is a Northern Marianan politician currently serving as the ninth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, since 2023. He previously served as the 12th lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, from 2019 to 2023. He represented Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate. Formerly a member of the Republican Party, he is the governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, having won the 2022 election.
Francisco Castro Ada was a Northern Mariana Islander politician who served as the first lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from January 9, 1978 to January 11, 1982, under Carlos S. Camacho, the territory's first governor.
The 2010 Congressional election in the Northern Mariana Islands occurred on November 2, 2010 and elected the territory's Delegate to the United States House of Representatives. Representatives and non-voting Delegates are elected for two-year terms; the elected will serve in the 112th Congress from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013.
Jude Untalan Hofschneider is a Northern Marianan politician and member of the Northern Mariana Islands from the 2nd district. He has served as that body's President on two occasions and as the 9th Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from February 20, 2013 to January 12, 2015. He was automatically elevated to this position on February 20, 2013, when the former lieutenant governor, Eloy S. Inos, assumed the governorship.
General elections were held in the Northern Mariana Islands on 4 November, 2014. Voters elected the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Delegate to the US Congress, the Senate, the House of Representatives, mayors, municipal councils and the Board of Education. Additionally, a referendum involving changes to the constitution was held.
The 2014 Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. As no candidate received a majority of the vote, a run-off election was held 14 days later. Incumbent Republican Governor Eloy Songao Inos and running mate Ralph DLG. Torres were elected. Inos, who served as lieutenant governor from 2009 to 2013, first became Governor following the resignation of his predecessor, Benigno Fitial.
Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres is a Northern Marianan politician, who served as the eighth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, from December 29, 2015, to January 9, 2023. He is a Republican from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The third longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Torres took office upon the death of Governor Eloy Inos on December 29, 2015, before being reelected as governor in his own right in 2018. He previously served as the tenth lieutenant governor, having been elected to that post in 2014.
Victor Borja Hocog is a Northern Marianan politician. He served as the President of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate from January 14, 2019 to January 11, 2021, and previously from January 12, 2015 to December 29, 2015. He also served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from December 29, 2015 to January 14, 2019.
The 2018 Northern Mariana gubernatorial election took place on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, to elect the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands to a four-year term in office. Incumbent Republican governor Ralph Torres, who ascended to governorship in December 2015 following the death of Governor Eloy Inos, sought election to a full term.
The 2022 Northern Mariana gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022 to elect the governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and the lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands to a four-year term in office. Because no candidate received 50% of the vote in the general election, the two highest-placing candidates advanced to a runoff election on November 25, 2022.
David Mundo Apatang is a Northern Mariana Islander politician who is serving as the 13th lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands since 2023. He previously served as the mayor of Saipan from January 12, 2015 to January 8, 2023. As a Republican, Apatang formerly served in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. Apatang was elected lieutenant governor of the Northern Mariana Islands in the 2022 election on an independent ticket headed by Arnold Palacios.
