King-Hinds wins delegate race in CNMI
Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the CNMI Republican Party yesterday won the race for the CNMI’s lone nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. The delegate post was one of 61 races up for grabs in the 2024 CNMI general elections.
The former Commonwealth Ports Authority chairwoman and lawyer from Tinian got 4,931 votes or 40.34% of total ballots cast. Democratic Party of the Northern Mariana Islands’ bet Edwin K. Propst finished second, 864 votes behind with 4,067 or 33.27% of the votes. Independent candidates John Oliver Gonzales, James Rayphand, and Liana Hofschneider garnered 2,282, 665, and 280 votes, respectively.
Even before the results of the 2024 general elections were certified at around 5:20am today, Propst conceded defeat and congratulated King-Hinds in a social media post.
“Congratulations to Kim King-Hinds, delegate-elect. I wish you the very best. To my amazing committee, I cannot thank you enough for your hard work and support. To our supporters, thank you for your votes, messages of support, donations, and kindness. To Daisy and Kiana, Devin, Kaden, and Logan, I love you more than anything in this world. Thank you for always being there for me,” he said.
In other races, Senate President Edith DeLeon Guerrero, who ran as an independent, lost her Saipan seat to Rep. Manny Castro, of the Democratic Party, as the latter took 52.89% of the votes (5,178) compared to former’s 43% (4,210).
For Tinian, incumbent Sen. Karl King-Nabors of the GOP ran unopposed and was voted in by 803 voters.
Incumbent and longtime Sen. Paul A. Manglona, meanwhile, lost his Rota Senate post to fellow independent Ronnie Mendiola Calvo, 476-441.
There was not much shakeup in the House of Representatives races as only incumbent Vicente Camacho, a Democrat, among the incumbents lost his seat. Newcomers in the incoming lower house include Elias Rangamar, Daniel Aquino, and Raymond U. Palacios—all independents.
Associate Judge Teresita Kim-Tenorio was also retained with 9,909 yes votes (84.21%) compared to 1,858 (15.79%) no votes.
The U.S. territory also elected members of the CNMI Board of Education and councilors for the municipal councils for Saipan and the Northern Islands, Tinian, and Rota.
For complete results click on this link: https://www.votecnmi.gov.mp/2024-election-results.
Delegate-elect Kimberlyn King-Hinds, right, shakes hands with Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) during the latter’s final townhall meeting last Wednesday at the NMI Museum of History and Culture.
-MARK RABAGO
