![]() |
---|
This article lists political parties in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Northern Marianas has a multi-party system, with two or three strong parties and a third party that is electorally successful. As of 28 April, 2024, The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the only two parties represented in elected and appointed offices, though the independents are a majority in the house and make up one-third of the senate.
The Covenant Party was a political party advocating governmental and financial reform. It 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. The Covenant Party is considered de facto dissolved when Governor Eloy Inos departed the party and rejoined the GOP in 2013. [1] Many left the party soon after, most moving to the Republic Party, making it a de facto GOP absorption of the Covenant Party. [2]
The Reform Party was a political party that was not an affiliate of the Reform Party USA but rather the American Reform Party, a splinter group of that party. The party was founded in 1999 by former Governor Froilan C. Tenorio, who claimed to be disgruntled and tired of the disunity showed by his former political affiliation, the Democrats. In 2002, the party merged back into the Democratic Party. [3]
Party | Leader(s) | Founded | Position | Ideology | Delegate Seat | Senate Seats | House Seats | Mayors | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 1978 | Centre-left | Liberalism, Progressivism, Social liberalism | 1 / 1 | 2 / 9 | 4 / 20 | 0 / 4 | ||
Republican Party | Centre-right | Conservatism, Fiscal conservatism, Social conservatism | 0 / 1 | 4 / 9 | 3 / 20 | 3 / 4 | |||
Party | Founded | Disbanded | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Covenant Party | 2001 | 2013 [4] | The Covenant Party was the first third party in Northern Mariana Islands history to see widespread success and elected into power the first Carolinian governor into office. Covenant was also the first and, as of 2024, only third party to win majorities in either the territorial house and senate, as well as holding all the mayoral seats. | |
Popular Party [5] [6] | 1978 | The CNMI Popular Party was the predecessor of the modern CNMI Democratic Party. This party is well-known for being the one to originally support reunification with Guam. | ||
Reform Party | 1999 [7] | 2002 [8] | The Reform Party was a political party in the Northern Mariana Islands. It was not an affiliate of the Reform Party USA but rather the American Reform Party, a splinter group. [7] The party was founded in 1999 by former Governor Froilan C. Tenorio, who claimed to be disgruntled and tired of the disunity showed by his former political affiliation, the Democrats. [9] [10] Reform became the first third party in the Northern Mariana Islands to win an elected seat (and their only win) in the Northern Mariana Island Senate during the 1999 general elections with candidate Ramon "Kumoi" Santos Deleon Guerrero. | |
Territorial Party [6] | The CNMI Territorial Party was the predecessor of the modern CNMI Republican Party. This party is well-known for being the one to oppose reunification with Guam. A majority of the party's members and supporters were Carolinians, but nearly all of its leaders were wealthy Chamorros. The latter, by and large, were local entrepreneurs and businessmen who were afraid that closer ties with Guam would result in an influx of capital or branch-plants that would compete with their own. The Territorial Party was an alliance of the richest and poorest strata of Saipan society. | |||
Juan Nekai Babauta is a Northern Mariana Islander politician who served as the sixth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands from January 14, 2002, to January 9, 2006.
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.
The Reform Party was a political party in the Northern Mariana Islands. It was not an affiliate of the Reform Party USA but rather the American Reform Party, a splinter group.
The CNMI Republican Party is a political party in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Northern Mariana Islands Republican Party is now associated with the United States Republican Party though no Northern Mariana Islands politicians have achieved high-ranking positions in the mainland United States.
The 2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election was held on Saturday, 5 November 2005. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands voted for the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, the non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, attorney general, 6 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all eighteen seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, 3 mayors, seats for the municipal council, seats for the board of education, 2 justices, and a judges. There was also a referendum on calling a Constitutional Convention, which was approved by voters.
Benigno Repeki Fitial is a Northern Marianan politician who served was the seventh 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 following table indicates the party of elected officials in the United States insular area of the Northern Mariana Islands:
General elections were held in the Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands voted for the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, 6 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all twenty seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, 4 mayors, seats for the municipal council, and seats for the board of education. Additionally, a referendum was held.
Heinz Sablan Hofschneider is a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. Hofschneider served as the Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004 and is a four-time candidate for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands.
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.
The 2012 Congressional election in the Northern Mariana Islands was held on November 6, 2012 to elect the territory's sole Delegate to the United States House of Representatives. Representatives and non-voting Delegates are elected for two-year terms.
The 2014 Northern Mariana Islands general election were held on Tuesday, 4 November, 2014. The election coincided with the 2014 United States midterm elections. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands voted for the governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, the non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, attorney general, 6 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all twenty seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, 4 mayors, seats for the municipal council, and seats for the board of education. Additionally, a referendum involving changes to the constitution was held.
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.
Edward Eladio Manibusan is a Northern Marianan attorney and politician serving as the first elected Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands. He took office on January 12, 2015. He previously served in the position from July 1, 1989 to January 8, 1990 when it was a gubernatorial appointment.
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.
Felicidad Leiwamal Taman Ogumoro was a politician from the Northern Mariana Islands. She served for some years as a member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives.
The 2001 Northern Mariana Islands general election was held on Saturday, 3 November 2001, electing the governor and members to the legislature. The 2001 elections marked the last general election that the dissolved Reform Party, which merged back into the Democratic Party in 2002, would appear on the ballot. Despite the economic hardships experienced under Pedro Pangelinan Tenorio's Administration, the apparent strength the 1999 general elections signaled that the Democratic Party and its splinter Reform Party had, and the newly formed Covenant Party which was formed as a splinter party from the ruling Republican Party, Republican candidate Juan Nekai Babauta won with a landslide in the four-way race. Benigno Repeki Fitial's newly formed Covenant Party landed a distant yet sizable second place. Jesus Borja of the Democratic Party won a distant third and Froilan Tenorio of the Reform Party placed fourth.
The 1999 Northern Mariana Islands general election was held on Saturday, 6 November 1999. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands voted for 3 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all eighteen seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, seats for the municipal council, and seats for the board of education, and a judge. There were also 4 other legislative initiatives, 2 of which were voted on by all CNMI voters, while 1 was voted on only by Rota voters and 1 only by Tinian voters.