Misplaced Pages

2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election

5 November 2005

Gubernatorial election

← 20012009 →

Candidate Benigno Fitial Heinz Hofschneider Party Covenant Independent Running mate Timothy Villagomez David M. Apatang Popular vote 3,766 3,682 Percentage 27.95% 27.33%   Candidate Juan Babauta Froilan Tenorio Party Republican Democratic Running mate Diego Benavente Antonio Aguon Santos Popular vote 3,584 2,440 Percentage 26.60% 18.11%

Governor before election Juan Babauta Republican Elected Governor Benigno Fitial Covenant

Senate election

← 20032007 →

6 of the 9 seats in the Senate 5 seats needed for a majority

Party Seats Covenant 3 Republican 3 Democratic 2 Independents 1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

House election

← 20032007 →

All 18 seats in the House of Representatives 10 seats needed for a majority

Party Seats Covenant 7 Republican 7 Democratic 2 Independents 2 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Mayoral elections

← 20012009 →

3 Mayors

Party Seats Covenant 3 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Politics of the Northern Mariana Islands
Constitution and law United States Constitution Northern Mariana Islands Constitution Law of the Northern Mariana Islands
Executive Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands Arnold Palacios (Republican) Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands David M. Apatang (Independent)
Legislature Northern Mariana Islands Senate President Edith DeLeon Guerrero (Democratic) Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives Speaker Edmund Villagomez (Independent)
Elections Northern Mariana Islands general elections: 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024 U.S. Congressional elections: 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024
Political parties Political party strength Democratic Party Republican Party
Federal delegation United States House Delegate Gregorio Sablan (Democratic)
Politics of the United States Politics portal
v t e

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.

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.

Background

The referendum on the Constitutional Convention was called in order to comply with Chapter XVIII, article 2 of the constitution, which required a referendum to be held at least every ten years on convening such a convention. A referendum had been due in 2003 as the last referendum had been in 1993, but the legislature had failed to organise it.

15,118 people registered with the Election Commission to vote.

Gubernatorial election

Candidates

Four candidates ran for governor, each with a running mate:

Covenant Party

• Benigno Repeki Fitial of the Covenant Party, sitting Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and 2001 gubernatorial candidate.
  • Timothy Pangelinan Villagomez, sitting Northern Mariana Islands Representative and Vice Speaker of the House at the time of the election.

Democratic Party

• Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio of the Democratic Party, former Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands (1994–1998).
  • Antonio Aguon Santos, educator and teacher.

Independent

• Heinz Sablan Hofschneider, an independent, a sitting member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and former Speaker until 2003. Hofschneider is a Republican, but ran as an independent in this election.
  • David Mundo Apatang, sitting Northern Mariana Islands Representative.

Republican Party

• Juan Babauta of the Republican Party, incumbent Governor elected in 2001.
  • Diego Tenorio Benavente, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands elected in 2001.

Results

Resident Representative to U.S. Congress

This was the last election to have Resident Representative to U.S. Congress. In 2008, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, signed into law by President George W. Bush, replaced the position of resident representative with a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives. The new position received the power to serve in congressional committees, to introduce bills, and to vote on proposed legislation in committee, but still had limited powers on the House floor, lacking the right to vote on legislation on the House floor.

Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature

Results summary

Parties		House Election Results		Seat Change	Party Strength
		2003	2005	+/−	Strength
	Republican	7	7		38.89%
	Covenant	9	7	2	38.89%
	Independent	1	2	1	11.11%
	Democratic	1	2	1	11.11%
Totals		18	18		100.00%

Parties		Senate Election Results		Seat Change	Party Strength
		2003	2005	+/−	Strength
	Covenant	3	3		33.33%
	Republican	2	3	1	33.33%
	Democratic	2	2		22.22%
	Independent	2	1	1	11.11%
Totals		9	9		100.00%

Senate

The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature, consisting of nine senators representing three senatorial districts (Saipan & the Northern Islands, Tinian & Aguijan, and Rota), each a Multi-member district with three senators. Six seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate were up for the 2005 election.

House of Representatives

The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The house has six districts, several of which are Multi-member districts. All 18 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives were contested in the 2005 election. This was the last election to have 18 members.

Mayors

Three mayoral posts were up for election across the Commonwealth. The elections resulted in the Covenant Party taking all the available positions.

Municipal Council

Board of education

Justices

Both Supreme Court Justices won retention.

Judges

Referendum

References

1. "Babauta wants 'concon' question in '05 polls". Saipan Tribune. September 13, 2004. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
2. ^ Northern Mariana Islands, 5 November 2005: Election of a Constitutional Convention Direct Democracy (in German)
3. Eugenio, Haidee (November 23, 2009). "CNMI holds first runoff election". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
4. Staff, Variety News (September 14, 2012). "Variations: The price of hubris". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
5. Casas, Gemma Q. (October 13, 2009). "Registered voters up by 15%". Marianas Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
6. ^ Hernandez, Criselda B. (2005). "Politics: 4-Way Gubernatorial Election Heats Up". Islands Business. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
7. ^ "2005 Election Results". Commonwealth Election Commission. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011.
8. "2005 Election Results". Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2024.

External links

• Election results Saipan Tribune

v t e Elections and referendums in the Northern Mariana Islands
Governor	1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2014 2018 2022 2026
General elections	1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 (Mar) 1995 (Nov) 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Mayors	2005 2009 2014 2018 2022
Municipal Councils	2003 2005 2007 2009 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
US House elections	2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
Referendums	1958 1961 1963 1969 1975 1977 1983 1985 1987 1989 1993 1995 1996 1997 1999 2005 2007 2009 2010 2012 2014
See also: Elections and referendums in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

• 2005 referendums
• 2005 elections in Oceania
• 2005 in the Northern Mariana Islands
• Referendums in the Northern Mariana Islands
• 2005 Northern Mariana Islands elections