The 2026 Northern Mariana Islands General election will be held on November 3, 2026, corresponding with the 2026 United States general elections. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands will vote 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 various municipal councils, and seats for the board of education.
Seventy-five candidates filed for the various offices up for election by the August 5th, 2026 deadline.
Background Since 2023, a governing coalition made up of independents and Democrats has governed the Northern Mariana Islands. In the 2024 general election, Republicans won the open US delegate seat while independents not aligned with the Arnold Palacios administration made modest gains in the legislature. The Republican National Committee announced Palacios rejoined the Republican Party after the 2024 elections. Palacios’ return received a lukewarm to hostile reception from local Republicans.
Key issues for the 2026 election remain similar to the previous general elections, with the economy and corruption being key issues that many criticize Governor Palacios and the Democrat-Independent Coalition for failing to rectify. The island’s largest industry, tourism, have not recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism have fallen compared to 2024 numbers. Another issue is the Administration’s hostility to reopening the Chinese tourism market, likely due to the declining relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The decision by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to abruptly stop processing travelers’ applications under the CNMI Economic Vitality & Security Travel Authorization Program (EVS-TAP) has crippled the Chinese tourism market for the CNMI. The two weekly flights by Hong Kong Airlines have been suspended until June 16 pending reinstatement of the program.
Gubernatorial election
Governor Arnold Palacios was elected with 54.14% of the vote in the runoff election in 2022. He was eligible to run for re-election in 2026, but died on July 23, 2025. David M. Apatang, the incumbent governor sworn in on July 23, 2025, announced that he would not seek a full term. Former Governor Ralph Torres is the Republican nominee. Blas T. Attao, former speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, and Lawrence F. Camacho, a former CNMI commissioner of education, are running as independent candidates.
Delegate to the US House of Representatives
Republican Party president Joseph Lee Pan Guerrero has stated that reelecting Kimberly King-Hinds as Delegate remains the top priority for the party. On June 20th, 2025, Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero, the president of Northern Marianas College and nephew of former delegate Gregorio Sablan, announced his candidacy as an independent.
Attorney General
Edward Manibusan was reelected in 2022 with 55.17% of the vote against former judge Juan Tudela Lizama. Manibusan, who had been circulating petitions for his reelection, abruptly announced that he would not run for a fourth term. Officially, the position is a non-partisan position.
Candidates: Joaquin Deleon Guerrero Torres Jonathan Robert Glass Michael Norita Evangelista
Senate Six of the nine seats of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate will be up for reelection.
District 1 District 1 is coterminous with the island of Rota. In 2022, Dennis C. Mendiola and Donald M. Manglona were elected to the Senate to represent District 1. In 2025, Mendiola was elevated to the lieutenant governor and succeeded by Paul Manglona.
Candidates: Tito Songao Hocog II (Republican) Robert Jr Harrison Myers (Independent), attorney. Donald Manalang Manglona (Independent), incumbent senator
District 2 District 2 is coterminous with Tinian Municipality. In 2022, incumbents Jude Hofschneider and Francisco Q. Cruz were reelected to represent District 2. Hofschneider and Cruz are running unopposed.
Candidates: Jude Hofschneider (Republican), incumbent senator Francisco Quichuchu Cruz (Republican), incumbent senator
District 3 District 3 includes Saipan and the Northern Islands. In 2022, Celina Babauta and Corina Magofna were elected to represent District 3.
Candidates: Celina Roberto Babauta (Democratic), incumbent senator (2023-present) Vicente Castro Camacho (Independent), former member of the CNMI House of Representatives (2021-2025) Corina Lorraine Magofna (Independent), incumbent senator (2023-present) Marco Taisakan Peter (Republican), former member of the CNMI House of Representatives (2019-2021) Edwin Raymond Borja Quitugua (Independent) Vinnie Vinson Flores Sablan (Republican), former senator (2019-2025) Crispin Manglona Sablan (Independent)
House of Representatives The election for all 20 seats in the House of Representatives will be held. Incumbents Blas T. Attao and Edmund Villagomez are retiring to run together on an independent ticket for governor and lieutenant governor respectively.
District 1 District 1 has all six seats open for the 2026 elections. There are thirteen candidates competing.
Candidates: Roy Ada (Republican), incumbent representative and minority leader Vincent Seman Aldan (Independent) Roman C. Benavente (Independent) Alfredo Javier Cabael (Republican), operator of Fritz Pacific Construction Diego Camacho (Independent), incumbent representative Patrick Matagolai Cepeda (Republican), former president of the CNMI Republican Party Ricardo Castro Cruz Jr. (Democratic) Cecilia Remedio Taitano Fitial (Republican) Joseph A. Flores (Independent), incumbent representative John Deleon Guerrero Demapan Jr. (Republican) Janet Maratita (Independent), former representative (2006-2008, 2011-2015, and 2017-2021) Raymond Palacios (Independent), incumbent representative Benusto Piteg (Republican)
District 2
District 2 has all two seats open for the 2026 elections. There are three candidates competing.
Candidates: Keith Cabrera Ada (Republican) Daniel I. Aquino (Independent), incumbent representative John Sablan (Independent), incumbent representative
District 3
District 3 has all six seats open for the 2026 elections. There are twelve candidates competing.
Candidates: Edward C Arriola Jr. (Republican) Gabriel Boki Babauta (Democratic), former representative (1988-1992) Del Ariel Benson (Republican), businessman Marissa Flores (Independent), incumbent representative Steve Kap Soo Jang (Independent), restaurant owner and member of the Commonwealth Zoning Board Quaid Taima Ogumoro Ngirchongor (Republican) Andrew Lujan Orsini (Republican), incumbent member of the Northern Mariana Islands Board of Education Elias Jerome Malite Rangamar (Independent), incumbent representative Yvette Reyes Sablan (Republican) Denita Yangetmai (Democratic), incumbent representative Ralph N. Yumul (Independent), incumbent representative
District 4
District 4 has all two seats open for the 2026 elections. There are three candidates competing.
Candidates: James Kennedy Weilbacher DLG Benjamin (Republican) Joel Castro Camacho (Independent), incumbent representative Malcolm Omar (Republican), incumbent representative
District 5
District 5 has all two seats open for the 2026 elections. There are four candidates competing.
Candidates: Ted Anthony Deleon Guerrero (Republican) Peter Francis Reyes Muna (Democratic), teacher Leila Staffler (Democratic), secretary of the Department of Labor (2023-present) and former representative (2021-2023) Angelo Atalig Camacho (independent), incumbent representative
District 6
District 6 has its one open for the 2026 elections. There is one candidate competing.
Candidates: Joseph Evangelista Santos (Republican), incumbent chairman of the Tinian Municipal Council
District 7
District 7 has its one open for the 2026 elections. There is one candidate competing.
Candidates: Julie Ogo (Independent), incumbent representative
Local elections
Mayors
Northern Islands Valentino Nicky Taisacan was elected in 2022 with 63.74% of the vote. He is running for reelection. Keli Tenorio is the Republican nominee. Keli Tenorio is facing a challenge to her residency.
Rota Incumbent mayor Aubry Manglona Hocog was elected to office in 2022 with 34.95% of the vote against four other candidates. She is running for reelection unopposed.
Saipan Ramon Jose Blas "RB" Camacho was elected in 2022 with 38.04% of the vote against two other candidates. Mayor Camacho is running for reelection. RB Camacho is opposed by Joseph M. Mendiola. A second challenger, Luis Sablan, filed, but was removed by the Commonwealth Election Commission. Joel C. Camacho, a member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives from Precinct #4, withdrew from challenging his uncle citing the aftermath of Typhoon Sinlaku.
Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan is term-limited and cannot run for reelection. On April 11th, 2026, Antonio San Nicolas Borja, who served as Tinian's representative in the CNMI House of Representatives during the 21st Commonwealth Legislature, defeated incumbent Tinian representative Patrick H. San Nicolas for the Republican nomination for mayor. Borja won with an overwhelming 543 votes to San Nicolas' 180 votes. San Nicolas is running unopposed.
Municipal councils Elections for the municipal councils will be held.
Board of education Elections will be held for the board of education.
Judiciary Retention elections will be held.
References