CNMI's 2026 general election field takes shape
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' 2026 general election is off to the races.
The 2026 general election in the Northern Mariana Islands is underway, with three main candidates vying for the governorship and lieutenant governor positions. Former governor Ralph DLG Torres is running on the Republican ticket alongside Benjamin Jones Jr., while independent tickets led by Blas Jonathan Attao and Edmund Villagomez, and former education commissioner Dr Lawrence Camacho and former Senate president Edith Deleon Guerrero are also in contention.
The lieutenant governor candidates have already debated the economy, workforce shortages, immigration, tourism, government spending, and disaster resilience. All three candidates support the idea of stabilizing the CNMI's foreign labor force. Torres, who lost the 2022 gubernatorial runoff, has focused on economic recovery, pension protection, and infrastructure resilience.
Deleon Guerrero has advocated for reducing government payroll costs and improving disaster preparedness. Villagomez has called for a detailed assessment of government staffing. The gubernatorial campaign formally began on July 30 when Attao and Villagomez filed their petitions. Torres and King-Hinds filed on August 3, becoming the third ticket.
The attorney general's position is up for election, with Michael Evangelista, Robert Glass Jr, and Joaquin DLG Torres competing. The Republican Party is also fielding candidates for Senate, House, and mayoral races across the islands.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
