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2022 Northern Mariana Islands general election

Gubernatorial election

← 2018 8 November 2022 (first round) 25 November 2022 (runoff) 2026 →

Nominee Arnold Palacios Ralph Torres Party Independent Republican Running mate David Apatang Vinnie Sablan Popular vote 7,394 6,263 Percentage 54.14% 45.86%

Results by voting district: Arnold Palacios:      50–55%      60–65%      65–70% Ralph Torres:      50–55%      65–70%      70–75%

Governor before election Ralph Torres Republican Elected Governor Arnold Palacios Independent

Delegate election

← 2020 8 November 2022 2024 →

Nominee Gregorio Sablan Party Democratic Popular vote 12,315 Percentage 100.00%

Delegate before election Gregorio Sablan Independent Elected Delegate Gregorio Sablan Democratic

Senate election

← 20202024 →

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

Party Seats Republican 4 Independents 3 Democratic 2 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

House election

← 20202024 →

All 20 seats in the House of Representatives 11 seats needed for a majority

Party Seats Independents 13 Democratic 4 Republican 3 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Mayoral elections

← 20182026 →

4 Mayors

Party Seats Republican 3 Independents 1 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 (Independent) 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 2022 Northern Mariana Islands general election were held on Tuesday, 8 November 2022, corresponding with the 2022 United States general 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, seats for the board of education, a justice, and 2 judges.

A runoff for the gubernatorial race were held on Friday, 25 November 2022. Total registered voters was 19,275. The general election saw turnout of 14,750 voters, or 76.52%, while the runoff saw a turnout of 13,094 voters, around 67.93%. This election saw the election of the CNMI's first independent governor and lieutenant governor. Both the CNMI Democratic Party and the CNMI Republican Party displayed lackluster results when compared to the independents in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives. This election also saw the first time the Democratic Party contested the governorship since the 2014 Northern Mariana Islands general election and the first time said party received more than 10% of the popular vote since the 2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election.

Background

The Republican Party entered the 2022 general election with the baggage of their lost trifecta from the 2020 general election, which saw the slumbering CNMI Democratic Party awaken and gain control of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives through a coalition with several independent members and a single-seat in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate. The Republicans also dealt with several corruption scandals revolving around incumbent Governor Ralph Torres, though Judge pro tempore Alberto E. Tolentino's decision to not try Governor Torres until after the election cycle allowed the incumbent governor to participate in the election. This allowed a three-way race for the governorship between a resurgent Democratic Party, an incumbent Republican Party, and a former Republican turned Independent, to occur.

On the economic front, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath caused a complete collapse of the local tourism industry, creating a massive economic burden on the territory. Flights between the CNMI and fellow US Territory Guam, as well as countries such as Japan and Korea, dropped to record lows or were suspended completely, severely damaging the economy. The worsening relations between the United States and China also signalled that Chinese tourists, once a cornerstone of the local tourism industry, will likely not return to the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. The CNMI also witnessed a massive 73% decline in the number of foreign workers from 2001 to 2020, a sign of the lack of economic opportunity on the island and a key contributor to the declining population. The declining population has led to lower tax revenue and worse social services and economic conditions, leading to more people leaving and creating a cycle that is difficult to break and is placing pressure on the local government, especially on the incumbents.

The CNMI is also witnessing a healthcare system that is inadequate to meet the needs of the territory, with many taking trips to neighboring Guam to obtain the services they need.

Gubernatorial election

Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres, the incumbent republican governor ran for another term alongside running mate Vinson Flores "Vinnie" Sablan. Lieutenant Governor Arnold Indalecio Palacios, a career republican, also contested the seat as an independent with Saipan mayor David Mundo Apatang as his running mate. For the first time since the 2014 Northern Mariana Islands general election, the Democratic Party contested the gubernatorial race, nominating Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives member and the first woman to be nominated for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, Christina Marie Elise Sablan (Tina Sablan). She chose fellow territorial representative Leila Haveia Fleming Clark Staffler as her running mate.

In the general election, Ralph Torres came in first with 38.83% of the vote, followed by Arnold Palacios at 33.15% and Tina Sablan at 28.01%. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a runoff between Ralph Torres and Arnold Palacios was held on 25 November 2022. Tina Sablan and Leila Staffler endorsed Arnold Palacios in the runoff, and Arnold Palacios and David Apatang signed a "unity pledge" with them promising action on several policy issues, including health care, labor, and infrastructure.

Arnold Palacios and David Apatang won the runoff election with 54.14% of the vote to 45.86% for Ralph Torres and Sablan. Palacios was the first independent elected Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and the first independent to win a gubernatorial election in any U.S. state or territory since 2014.

Candidates

Democratic Party

• Christina Marie Elise Sablan (Tina Sablan), former member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives (2008-2010 and 2019–2023)
  • Leila Haveia Fleming Clark Staffler, Staffler's former principal of Kagman High School (2013–2021) and former member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives (2021–2023)

Independents

• Arnold Indalecio Palacios, former lieutenant governor (2019–2023), former president of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate (2017–2019), former member of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate (2015–2019), former Secretary of Lands and Natural Resources (2012–2015), former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Northern Mariana Islands (2008–2010)
  • David Mundo Apatang, Palacios' former Mayor of Saipan (2015–2023)

Republican Party

• Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres, incumbent governor of the Northern Mariana Islands (serving since 2015), former lieutenant governor (2015), former president of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate (2013–2015), and former chairman of the Health & Welfare Committee (2010–2015)
  • Vinson Flores "Vinnie" Sablan, Torres' running mate and former member of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate (2019–2023)

Results

Delegate to the US House of Representatives

Incumbent Representative Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, previously an independent who caucused with the Democratic Party, ran for re-election as the Democratic nominee for the first time in his career. Sablan, first elected in 2008, had held the seat since its creation in 2009. Delegate Gregorio Sablan was re-elected. The Northern Mariana Islands' non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives was elected for a two-year term.

Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature

Results summary

Parties		House election results			Seat change	Party strength
		2020	2021	2022	+/−	Strength
	Independent	3	3 ()	13	10	65.00%
	Democratic	8	9 (1)	4	5	20.00%
	Republican	9	8 (1)	3	5	15.00%
Totals		20	20	20		100.00%

Parties		Senate election results		Seat change	Party strength
		2020	2022	+/−	Strength
	Republican	5	4	1	44.44%
	Independent	3	3		33.33%
	Democratic	1	2	1	22.22%
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. Each district had two seats open for the 2022 elections.

House of Representatives

The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The house has seven districts, and five of the seven are multi-member districts. All twenty seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives were contested in the 2022 election.

Mayors

All four mayoral posts were up for election across the Commonwealth.

Attorney General

Municipal Council

Board of education

Justices

Judges

Notes

1. In 2014, Edward Masga Deleon Guerrero ran in the 2014 Northern Mariana Islands general election for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
2. In 2005, Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio ran in the 2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election for Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands and won 18.11% of the popular vote
3. In 2014, Bill Walker was elected Governor of Alaska and Kenneth Mapp was elected Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
4. A special election for Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives District 3 was called for October 16, 2021 after the seat became vacant after Ivan A. Blanco (R) died while in office on July 23, 2021. Corina L. Magofna (D) won.

References

1. ^ "BREAKING NEWS: Runoff election on Nov. 25". Saipan Tribune. 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
2. ^ "2022 Official General Election and Run-Off Results". Commonwealth Election Commission. 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
3. ^ "Torres-Sablan wins; to face Palacios-Apatang in runoff". Saipan Tribune. 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
4. ^ Torre, Ferdie De La (2022-11-14). "Big 76.52% voter turnout". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
5. ^ Esmores, Kimberly Bautista (2022-11-28). "Over 1,000 fewer voters in runoff". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
6. Limol, K.-Andrea Evarose (2022-11-28). "UPDATED: Team Palacios-Apatang wins". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
7. Farrell, Don (2022-10-17). "The 2022 election". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
8. ^ Admin (2022-12-05). "A full-blown economic disaster". pactimes. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
9. Daily Post Staff (2020-04-01). "United Airlines flights between Guam and Saipan canceled". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
10. Esmores, Kimberly Bautista (2021-12-02). "Star Marianas suspends all flights". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
11. Torre, Ferdie De La (2020-07-16). "No new date to reopen CNMI to int'l flights". Saipan Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
12. Office, U. S. Government Accountability. "Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Recent Workforce Trends and Wage Distribution | U.S. GAO". www.gao.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
13. "U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
14. "Analysis | People are fleeing Puerto Rico, Guam and every other U.S. territory. What gives?". Washington Post. 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
15. Stolyar, Lina; Orgera, Kendal; Published, Robin Rudowitz (2021-05-18). "Challenges in the U.S. Territories: COVID-19 and the Medicaid Financing Cliff". KFF. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
16. "Special election for Precinct 3 on Oct. 16". Saipan Tribune. 2021-08-23. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
17. "2021 CNMI Special Election". Commonwealth Election Commission. Retrieved 2023-06-10.

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

• Elections in the Northern Mariana Islands
• 2022 in the Northern Mariana Islands
• 2022 elections in Oceania