66 candidates, 2 judges, 1 justice for retention

Sixty-six persons have filed their candidacies, while two judges and a Supreme Court justice will be on the ballots for retention on the bench for the Nov. 3 general elections.

In a letter he sent to Commonwealth Election Commission executive director Julita A. Villagomez on Wednesday, Associate Justice Perry B. Inos notified the CEC of his intent to submit his name for retention. Inos’ eight-year term as associate justice ends on March 8, 2021.

Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja and Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo have already informed CEC of their intent to run for retention.

Under a constitutional amendment, the question of whether justices or judges will be retained shall be put to a vote at a general election immediately before the end of that justice’s or judge’s initial term of office.

Villagomez said yesterday that the board has to certify the candidacies of the 66 as well as the two judges and one justice.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Ind-MP) is running unopposed for his 7th term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The ruling Republican Party has fielded 21 candidates. The Democratic Party submitted 18 candidates, but will support three independent candidates: Delegate Sablan, Rota Sen. Paul A. Manglona, and Rota Rep. Donald Manglona.

There are six other independent candidates: Rep. Luis John Castro, Rep. Joseph Arriola Flores, Rep. Edmund Joseph Sablan Villagomez, Glenn Hocog Manglona, Vincent Raymond Seman Aldan, and Joseph M. Mendiola.

There are 18 candidates for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota municipal councils, and Saipan and Rota Board of Education.

On Saipan, the GOP’s candidate for Senate is incumbent Sen. Sixto Kaipat Igisomar.

GOP Saipan candidates for House are Rep. Joseph Leepan Tenorio Guerrero, Rep. Roman Cepeda Benavente, Angel Aldan Demapan, Roy Ada, Randall Dexter Pangelinan, Rep. John Paul P. Sablan, Daniel I. Aquino, Speaker Jonathan Blas T. Attao, Rep. Ivan A. Blanco, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, Rep. Jose Itibus, Rep. Marco T. Peter, Rep. Joel Camacho, Cecilia Taitano, vice speaker Rep. Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero, and Ramon S. Basa.

For Tinian, the GOP candidate for the House is Patrick H. San Nicolas and Karl King Nabors for the Senate.

On Rota, the GOP bet for the Senate is Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner Dennis James Camacho Mendiola and Commonwealth Ports Authority board member Barrie Toves for the House.

The Democratic Party’s candidate for Saipan Senate is former Labor secretary Edith Deleon Guerrero.

The Democratic Party’s Saipan candidates for the House are Rep. Ed Propst, Celina Babauta, Antonio Blas Cabrera, Benusto “Ben” Piteg, Peter Muna, Rep. Tina Sablan, Luella Marciano, Vicente Camacho, Alfred Saures, Corina Magofna, Denita Yangetmai, Rep. Sheila Babauta, Jenita Castro, Rep. Richard Lizama, and Leila Staffler.

For Tinian, the Democratic Party’s Jose Cruz is running for a Senate seat, while Frederick Dela Cruz is seeking a House seat.

For Saipan Municipal Council, the candidates are Antonia Manibusan Tudela and Ana Demapan Castro.

For Tinian Municipal Council, the candidates are Thomasa Palacios-Mendiola, Joseph Romaldo Evangelista Santos, Michael Napu King Aldan, Jonovan Lizama, William A. Taitano, and Michael C. Sikebert.

For Rota Municipal Council, the candidates are Lorita Mesngon Manglona, Jim Michael Atalig, Joseph Manglona, Juanita Masga Mendiola, and Abraham Manglona Ogo.

For Board of Education representing Saipan, the candidates are Gregory Pat Borja, Stephen C. Woodruff, Maisie Tenorio, and Epiphanio E. Cabrera.

For Board of Education Rota, Herman Atalig is the lone candidate.

The position for the U.S. delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives and 37 other government positions, including three from the Judiciary for retention, are up for grabs on Nov. 3.

The top seat for the election is the U.S. delegate to the House of Representatives, a position that has been held by Delegate Sablan since he was first elected in 2008.

For the CNMI House of Representatives, precincts 1 and 3 need six candidates each; for precincts 2, 4, and 5, they need 2 candidates each; and Rota and Tinian have one each.

For the CNMI Senate, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota need one each.

The Board of Education, Saipan and Rota have one seat each.

For the Municipal Council, three seats are available for Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.