King-Hinds announces intent to run as delegate

Former Commonwealth Ports Authority board chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds formally announced yesterday her decision to run for office under the NMI Republican Party as the CNMI’s delegate for the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I stand before you today, ready for this fight, ready to serve you, and ready to work for the opportunities, rights, freedom, and possibilities of our people,” said King-Hinds, drawing applause from family members, friends, supporters, and community leaders and members who attended the event at the Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe.

It was her mother, Serafina King-Nabors, who introduced King-Hinds at the event. Both King-Nabors and the late Felicidad T. Ogumoro were the first women representatives in the first CNMI Legislature.

NMI Republican Party chair Diego Benavente, who was present at the announcement, said in an interview he also expects to receive John Oliver Gonzales’ letter of intent to run as delegate, and that another individual has also expressed an interest to seek the position.

Benavente said they set a deadline of March 15, 2024, to file a letter of intent.

By March 15, if there is more one candidate for the position, then they will go into a primary, Benavente said.

In her speech, King-Hinds said she is a wife and a mother who, like many people in the CNMI, share in the burning desire to give their children the opportunity for a better life and to live in a safer world.

King-Hinds said she is a lawyer who, like many young people in the CNMI, sought education, experience, and knowledge so that she can do her part to help build a better community.

Through this all, she said, she has seen the strength of the CNMI community.

King-Hinds said it was here that people secured their place in the American community, fought for rights to self-government, stood firm against both internal and external threats like natural disasters, pandemics, and uneven and damaging federal policies, and stand ready to fight for a place in this world.

She recognized that to run for delegate is not easy. “I already hear it. ‘She’s from Tinian.’ ‘She’s never served in the Legislature.’ I get that,” King-Hinds said.

Yet King-Hinds assured that she is ready for that hard work. In fact, she said, nothing in her life has been easy as she has had to cross picket lines and endure harassment to work as a checker at Safeway so she can put food on the table.

She said she has worked as a nanny and cleaned houses to save money so she can go back to college, and served rowdy customers and endured sexual harassment as a waitress at a sports bar so she could afford rent and pay for books while going to college.

King-Hinds said she fought against the U.S. Department of Defense to stop them from bombing Tinian and Pagan.

For what seems like a lifetime now, King-Hinds said, she has been fighting against “one-size-fits-all federal policies” that may work in California but does not work for the people in the Commonwealth.

King-Hinds said she is just a woman who grew up being told to go to school, get educated, to never forget where she comes from and, more importantly, to come back and be a part of helping the community.

“I’ve been back. I’ve been doing. And it’s time for me to level up and give the best of who I am to the people on these islands that I love deeply,” she said.

King-Hinds said the promise of the Covenant was not just a promise between America and the Marianas but a promise to the world after a devastating war—that America was going to do different and do better.

She said the Covenant shows the world the unequal strength of America at its greatest and the CNMI stands on the shoulders of honorable men who champion this cause, the public servants who navigated through the waters of Washington as the CNMI’s Washington representatives refined the Commonwealth’s voice, justifying CNMI’s existence.

She said these men walk the path and Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP), the CNMI’s first delegate, opened the door and opportunities to bring the Commonwealth closer to achieving rights as Americans to have an equal voice in the decisions of the country.

“It is our time today, right now, for a new generation to level up, to step through that door that’s been opened for us, to bring our strengths and our hearts to fight for who we are, and for our place in the world,” King-Hinds said.

She asked people to join her in this fight to make sure that every person, young or old, has the ability to build a life here at home.

King-Hinds asked the people to join her in the faith that the forefathers of Covenant had in themselves: that they are worthy, that they are capable and they are unstoppable in their determination to build a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that they can all be proud of.

“So level up with me, CNMI! I love you so much, let’s do this!” King-Hinds said, drawing more applause.

In introducing her daughter, King-Nabors said King-Hinds, whom they call Kim at home, is the organizer of their family and the one they all count on to get things done, whether it is a birthday party, family trip, or someone needs help.

King-Nabors said Kim has always loved helping people since she was very young.

“We used to have a small store on Tinian and she would give away the merchandise for free to her classmates whom she thought needed it more than the business,” she said.

King-Nabors said Kim was always willing to take any job to earn money so that she can get her degree.

She said her daughter never shied away from standing up for what she believes in, even when it’s an uphill battle. For instance, most people cautioned her daughter against taking too strong of a stance against the U.S. military, she said, with everyone calling it a David and Goliath battle, but not for King-Hinds who took the challenge and fought with her whole heart.

“Most people who really don’t know Kim see her as a really tough woman, but if you know Kim like our family knows her, she’s one of the most caring and thoughtful person you’ll ever meet,” the mother said.

Former CPA executive director Christopher S. Tenorio is King-Hinds campaign manager.

Among those present at the announcement were former governor Ralph DLG Torres, former senator Vinnie Vinson Sablan, Sens. Francisco Q. Cruz (R-Tinian), Karl R. King-Nabors (R-Tinian), and Dennis James C. Mendiola (R-Rota), Rep. Patrick H. San Nicolas (R-Tinian), Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, former representative Angel Aldan, former senator Thomas Villagomez, Commonwealth Casino Commission commissioner Ramon Dela Cruz, former Saipan mayor George Sablan, former NMI Democratic Party chair Danial Quitugua, some community leaders, and several lawyers.