2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election

2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election

5 November 2005

Gubernatorial election

← 2001 2009 →

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

← 2003 2007 →

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

← 2003 2007 →

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

← 2001 2009 →

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 (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
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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,^[1] which was approved by voters.^[2]

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.^[3] This election made commonwealth history by electing both the territory's first Carolinian governor and its first third party governor.^[4]

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.^[2] A referendum had been due in 2003 as the last referendum had been in 1993, but the legislature had failed to organise it.^[2]

15,118 people registered with the Election Commission to vote.^[5]

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

• Benigno Repeki Fitial of the Covenant Party, sitting Speaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and 2001 gubernatorial candidate.^[6]
  • Timothy Pangelinan Villagomez, sitting Northern Mariana Islands Representative and Vice Speaker of the House at the time of the election.^[6]

• Froilan Cruz "Lang" Tenorio of the Democratic Party, former Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands (1994–1998).^[6]
  • Antonio Aguon Santos, educator and teacher.^[6]

• Heinz Sablan Hofschneider, an independent, a sitting member of the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives and former Speaker until 2003.^[6] Hofschneider is a Republican, but ran as an independent in this election.^[6]
  • David Mundo Apatang, sitting Northern Mariana Islands Representative.^[6]

• Juan Babauta of the Republican Party, incumbent Governor elected in 2001.^[6]
  • Diego Tenorio Benavente, incumbent Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands elected in 2001.^[6]

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.

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%

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.

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.^[8] 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.

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

Both Supreme Court Justices won retention.

• Election results Saipan Tribune