Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature

Territorial legislature of the Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature

22nd Legislature
Type
Type|

Bicameral

Houses| Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership

Senate President

Karl King-Nabors (R)
since July 23, 2025

House Speaker

Edmund Villagomez (I)
since January 13, 2021

Structure
Seats| 29 voting members

* 9 senators
* 20 representatives

Senate political groups

*   Republican (4)
*   Independent (3)
*   Democratic (2)
*   Coalition

House of Representatives political groups

*   Independent (13)
*   Democratic (4)
*   Republican (3)
*   Coalition

Length of term

| Senate 4 years
House 2 years
Elections

Last Senate election

| November 8, 2022
(6 seats)

Last House of Representatives election

| November 8, 2022

Next Senate election

| November 5, 2024
(3 seats)

Next House of Representatives election

| November 5, 2024

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
* David M. Apatang (Independent)

* Lieutenant Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands
* Dennis C. Mendiola (Republican)

Legislature

* Northern Mariana Islands Senate
* Acting President
* Karl King-Nabors (Republican)

* 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 Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature is the territorial legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The legislative branch of the territory is bicameral, consisting of a 20-member lower House of Representatives, and an upper house Senate with nine senators. Representatives serve two-year terms and senators serve four-year terms, both without term limits. The territorial legislature meets in the commonwealth capital of Saipan.

Similar to the United States Congress, the Senate seats are divided into three districts (three seats each) whose boundaries are identical to those of the municipalities (except that the barely inhabited Northern Islands is incorporated with Saipan). The Constitution provides for the creation of a fourth district for the Northern Islands when the population exceeds 1,000.[1] The Senate seats are divided into two classes, similar to the classes of senators in the United States, with one class consisting of a single senator from each district, and the second class consisting of two senators from each district. In the first election after the ratification of the Constitution, the senator with the third-highest number of votes held their seat for two years.[1] Requirements for senator are a minimum age of 25, residence in the Commonwealth for five years, and a registered voter in the district represented. The Constitution permits a higher residence requirement to be legislated.

The House seats are elected from seven districts. Two districts have one seat each, one for Rota and the other for Tinian and Aguiguan. The remaining five districts elect multiple members, three with two members, and two with six members, and are all located on Saipan, with one also including the Northern Islands. The Constitution provides for the Northern Islands to be a separate district when the population exceeds the number of people represented by any Representative.[1] Reapportionment occurs every 10 years following the census. Requirements for Representative are a minimum age of 21, residence in the Commonwealth for three years, and a registered voter in the district represented. As with the Senate, the Constitution permits the Legislature to enact a higher residence requirement.

The Legislature also has a youth congress, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Youth Congress.[2][3]

The official flag of the Northern Mariana Islands

## History

[edit]

This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: recent election results and other historical data may be missing. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
Last update: September 2013 (December 2023)

|

The modern legislature was created under Secretarial Order No. 2989 by federal Interior Secretary Thomas S. Kleppe effective April 1, 1976, replacing the less autonomous Mariana Islands District Legislature. The cabinet-level order reorganized local government in the commonwealth to reflect its greater self-government, which had established a political union with the United States in the previous year under a public plebiscite.

The Commonwealth was officially established in January 1978, and as the constitution prescribed, the first House of Representatives had 14 members (12 from Saipan). Over the years, as permitted by the constitution, House membership was increased to 20 (18 from Saipan) beginning with the 16th Legislature in 2008, the Constitutional maximum.[1]

The Northern Mariana Islands' election calendar was one of the few political divisions in the United States where general elections were held in odd-numbered years (along with Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia). After a non-voting delegate position was created in the United States Congress for the NMI in January 2009 and its election held in November 2008, a referendum was approved in the 2009 elections changing elections to even-numbered years by delaying the 2011 elections and lengthened all political terms by one year.

## See also

[edit]

* Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives
* Northern Mariana Islands Senate
* List of Northern Mariana Islands Governors

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Constitution of the Northern Marianas Islands" (PDF). gov.mp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-10. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
2. ^ "Youth Congress". Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
3. ^ "Letter to the President and Speaker" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-15.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website Archived 2016-08-12 at the Wayback Machine

* v
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Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Saipan (capital)

Topics|

* Archipelago
* Geography
* Politics
* Economy
* Per capita income
* Campaign

Geography|

| Islands|

* Agrihan (Agrigan)
* Aguijan
* Alamagan
* Anatahan
* Asuncion
* Farallon de Medinilla
* Farallon de Pajaros (Urracas)
* Guguan
* Mañagaha
* Maug Islands (Ma'ok)
* Pagan
* Rota (Luta)
* Saipan
* Sarigan
* Tinian
* Zealandia Bank

|

Other|

* Mount Tapochau
* Marianas Trench Marine National Monument

Municipalities|

* Northern Islands
* Rota
* Saipan
* Tinian

Settlements|

| Saipan|

* Afetnas
* Achugao
* As Lito
* As Matuis
* As Perdido
* As Teo
* As Terlaje
* Capitol Hill
* Chalan Kanoa
* Chalan Kiya
* Chalan Laulau
* Chalan Piao
* China Town
* Dandan
* Fina Sisu
* Garapan
* Gualo Rai
* Kagman
* Kannat Tabla
* Koblerville
* Lower Base
* Marpi
* Navy Hill
* Oleai (San Jose)
* Papago
* Sadog Tasi
* San Antonio
* San Roque
* San Vicente
* Susupe
* Tanapag

|

Rota|

* Sinapalo
* Songsong

Tinian|

* Carolinas Heights
* Marpo Heights
* Marpo Heights II
* Marpo Valley
* San Jose

Education|

| K-12|

* CNMIPSS
* Kagman HS (Saipan)
* Marianas HS (Saipan)
* Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Jr-Sr HS (Rota)
* Saipan Southern HS
* Tinian M-HS
* Saipan International
* Marianas Baptist Academy
* Mount Carmel
* Grace Christian Academy

|

Other|

* Northern Marianas College
* State Library

Transportation|

* Saipan International Airport
* Rota International Airport
* Tinian International Airport

Landmarks|

| NRHP listings|

| Saipan|

* Banzai Cliff
* Campaneyan Kristo Rai
* Chalan Galaide
* Hachiman Jinja
* Isley Field
* Japanese 20mm Cannon Blockhouse
* Japanese Hospital
* Japanese Jail Historic and Archeological District
* Japanese Lighthouse
* Landing Beaches; Aslito/Isely Field; & Marpi Point
* Laulau Kattan Latte Site
* Mañagaha
* Suicide Cliff (Laderan Banadero)
* Tachognya
* Unai Achugao Archaeological Site
* Unai Lagua Japanese Defense Pillbox
* Unai Obyan Latte Site
* Waherak Maihar

|

Rota|

* Chudang Palii Japanese WWII Defensive Complex
* Chugai' Pictograph Site
* Commissioner's Office
* Dugi Archeological Site
* Japanese Coastal Defense Gun
* Japanese Hospital
* Mochong
* Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha Sugar Mill
* Rectory
* Rota Latte Stone Quarry

Tinian|

* House of Taga
* Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha complex
* North Field
* Unai Dangkulo Petroglyph Site

Religious Sites|

* Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral
* Saipan Katori Shrine

Media|

* Marianas Variety
* Saipan Tribune
* Radio stations
* Television stations

Museums and History|

* NMI Museum of History and Culture
* Sugar King Park
* Sugar Dock (Saipan)
* Garapan Heritage Trail
* Battle of Saipan
* Battle of Tinian
* Naval Base Saipan
* Tinian Naval Base

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National bicameral legislatures

Federal|

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Unitary|

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Dependent and
other territories|

* American Samoa
* Bermuda
* Isle of Man
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico

Non-UN states|

* Somaliland

Historical|

* Venezuela (1811–1999)
* Confederate States (1862–1865)
* Czechoslovakia (1920–1939) (1969–1992)
* Estonia (1938–1940)
* Serbia (1901–1903)
* Soviet Union (1938–1991)
* Texas (1836–1845)
* Yugoslavia (1931–1939, 1945–1963, 1974–1992)
* FR Yugoslavia (1992–2003)
* Ottoman Empire (1876–1878, 1908–1920)

Related|

* Unicameralism
* Tricameralism
* Multicameralism
* List of legislatures by country

* National unicameral legislatures
* National lower houses
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Legislatures of the United States

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* United States House of Representatives
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Other legislatures|

* District of Columbia
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* Guam
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* U.S. Virgin Islands

Legislative elections|

* 2000
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* List of U.S. state legislators
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Politics of Oceania

Sovereign states|

* Australia
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Indonesia
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Timor-Leste
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

Associated states
of New Zealand|

* Cook Islands
* Niue

Dependencies
and other territories|

* American Samoa
* Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Easter Island
* French Polynesia
* Guam
* Hawaii
* New Caledonia
* Norfolk Island
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Pitcairn Islands
* Tokelau
* Wallis and Futuna

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