CNMI voters favor familiar faces, force runoffs in top races
By Bryan Manabat
Saipan--The 2026 general election delivered both certainty and suspense for the Northern Mariana Islands, producing decisive outcomes in several high-profile contests while forcing runoff elections to determine who will occupy two of the government's most powerful offices.
When the final election-day precincts were counted early Wednesday, CNMI voters re-elected Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds to a second term in Congress, overwhelmingly retained Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro, and reaffirmed support for several incumbent local leaders. But they did not give a majority mandate to any candidate in either the gubernatorial or attorney general races, ensuring that the campaign season is not yet over.
Unofficial results released by the Commonwealth Election Commission showed the Republican gubernatorial ticket of former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and running mate Benjamin Jones Jr. leading the field with 6,437 votes, or 49.5percent of ballots cast. The independent ticket of Blas Jonathan Attao and Edmund Villagomez followed with 5,043 votes, or 38.7 percent.
Because no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote, CNMI law requires a runoff between the top two finishers. The independent team of Lawrence F. Camacho and Edith Deleon Guerrero placed third with 1,537 votes, or 11.8 percent, ending their bid but positioning their supporters as a potentially influential bloc in the runoff campaign.
The results reflected a dynamic race that shifted throughout election night. Torres and Jones built a sizable lead during the counting of early and absentee ballots, at one point holding a margin of nearly 2,000 votes.
As election day precincts were tabulated, Attao and Villagomez steadily closed the gap. By the end of the unofficial count, the Torres-Jones lead stood at 1,394 votes, underscoring the competitiveness of the race heading into the final two-week stretch.
A similarly fragmented vote emerged in the attorney general contest.
Attorney Joaquin DLG Torres led the three-candidate field with 5,073 votes, or 39.7 percent, followed by attorney Michael Evangelista with 3,854 votes, or 30.2 percent. Attorney Jonathan Robert Glass Jr. narrowly missed advancing, finishing with 3,836 votes, or 30.1 percent.
The razor-thin difference between Evangelista and Glass highlighted a divided electorate and ensured another closely watched runoff campaign. Under commonwealth law, only the top two candidates advance when no contender wins a majority of votes cast.
While voters deferred judgment on those races, they delivered a clear decision in Washington representation.
King-Hinds won re-election to the CNMI's nonvoting seat in the U.S. House of Representatives with 8,194 votes, or 63.7 percent of ballots cast, defeating independent challenger Galvin Sablan Deleon Guerrero, who received 4,675 votes.
In a message to supporters, King-Hinds called the outcome a shared victory and pledged to continue pursuing federal priorities for the Commonwealth.
The re-election extends a historic tenure that began in 2025 after she became the first woman and first person from Tinian elected to represent the CNMI in Congress. She succeeded longtime Delegate Gregorio "Kilili" Sablan, who had held the seat since its creation in 2008.
Deleon Guerrero conceded the race Wednesday, congratulating King-Hinds and thanking supporters for what he described as a campaign worth celebrating. He said he plans to focus on work, family and creative pursuits before considering any future political ambitions.
The election also delivered strong endorsements for incumbent and unopposed municipal leaders across the islands. Saipan Mayor Ramon "RB" Camacho secured another four-year term with 8,331 votes, defeating challenger Joseph Muna Mendiola, who received 1,892 votes. On Rota, Mayor Aubry Hocog won re-election unopposed with 1,111 votes, while Antonio San Nicolas Borja was elected mayor of Tinian after running unopposed and receiving 976 votes.
The municipal results mirrored broader voting patterns across the Commonwealth, where incumbents and established public figures generally fared well with voters seeking continuity amid ongoing economic and infrastructure challenges.
Elsewhere on the ballot, voters appeared ready to revisit the Commonwealth's governing document, though not by enough to meet the constitutional threshold.
More than 63 percent of voters supported holding a constitutional convention, with 7,602 voting yes and 4,324 voting no. Despite earning a clear majority, the measure fell short of the two-thirds approval required under Article XVIII of the CNMI Constitution. The proposal missed passage by 349 votes, meaning no convention will be convened and no delegates will be elected to consider constitutional amendments.
The result highlighted a recurring tension in commonwealth politics: broad support for examining potential reforms coupled with the difficulty of meeting the supermajority standards built into the Constitution itself.
One of the most decisive outcomes came in the judiciary.
Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro earned retention by a commanding margin, receiving 10,395 yes votes compared with 1,832 votes against retention. The result reaffirmed public confidence in a jurist whose career has spanned more than four decades and multiple leadership roles within the Commonwealth judiciary.
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Castro, appointed to the Supreme Court in 2012 after years as an associate justice, presiding judge and attorney general, has also served in judicial roles across Micronesia, including Guam and Palau.
With certification of the election results still pending, the Commonwealth Election Commission continues canvassing and reconciliation procedures. Once the results are certified, runoff elections for governor and attorney general will be held 14 days later.
Until then, voters and candidates alike face two more weeks of campaigning in an election cycle that has already delivered a clear message: while the electorate remains willing to reward experience and continuity, it is demanding a final say on who will lead the Commonwealth's executive branch and legal system into the years ahead.
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