27 incumbents face challengers

Twenty-seven incumbent candidates will keep or vacate their office depending on the results of today’s election.

There are eight other candidates who are seeking election to positions other than the ones they presently hold.

On top of the list of incumbent candidates are Republican Gov. Juan N. Babauta and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente.

Among the opposing teams, only the Democrat team of former governor Froilan C. Tenorio and Antonio A. Santos are currently not in office.

The two other teams are made up of current members of the House of Representatives: House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial and Vice Speaker Timothy Villagomez of the Covenant Party, and independent candidates Rep. Heinz S. Hofchneider and Rep. David M. Apatang.

Washington Rep. Pedro A. Tenorio of the Republican Party is asking voters for another term. He is opposed by Covenant Party candidate Juan S. Demapan.

In the Senate, those who are up for reelection are Paterno Hocog and Diego Songao of Rota, Joseph Mendiola of Tinian, and Pete Reyes and Thomas Villagomez of Saipan.

Tinian Municipal Council member Jude U. Hofschneider and Rep. Claudio Norita are running for a senatorial seat for Tinian and Saipan, respectively.

Those seeking reelection in the House of the Representatives are Martin Ada, Joseph Deleon Guerrero, Janet Maratita and Benjamin Seman in Precinct 1; Oscar Babauta and Jesus Lizama in Precinct 2; Arnold Palacios, Ramon Tebuteb, and Ray Yumul in Precinct 3; Justo Quitugua in Precinct 4; Norman Palacios in Precinct 5; and Crispin Ogo in Precinct 6.

Norman Palacios is contested by another elected official, Edwin Aldan of the Tinian Municipal Council.

Incumbent mayors Valentin I. Taisakan of the Northern Islands and Juan B. Tudela of Saipan are running for four more years in office.

Meanwhile, both the mayors of Tinian and Rota are handing their seats over to new occupants.

Among mayoral candidates on Tinian or Rota, only Senate President Joaquin Adriano is currently in office.

The incumbent candidates for the municipal councils are: Gregorio Deleon Guerrero and Antonia Tudela of Saipan and Mametto Ayuyu and Tom Glenn Quitugua of Rota.

There are no incumbent candidates in the race for the Tinian Municipal Council, as well as for Tinian representative to the Board of Education.

BOE representative Herman T. Guerrero of Saipan is also seeking reelection.