2020 Northern Mariana Islands general election explained

Country:Northern Mariana Islands
Election Date:3 November 2020
Module:
Embed:yes
Type:presidential
Previous Election:2018 Northern Mariana Islands general election
Previous Year:2018
Next Election:2022 Northern Mariana Islands general election
Next Year:2022
Election Name:Delegate election
Election Date:3 November 2020
Nominee1:Gregorio Sablan
Party1:Independent
Popular Vote1:11,449
Percentage1:100.00%
Before Party:Independent
After Party:Independent
Module:
Election Name:Senate election
Embed:yes
Majority Seats:5
Noleader:yes
Nopercentage:yes
First Election:yes
Party1:Republican Party (Northern Mariana Islands)
Seats1:5
Seats2:3
Party3:Democratic Party (Northern Mariana Islands)
Seats3:1
Module:
Election Name:House election
Embed:yes
Majority Seats:11
Noleader:yes
Nopercentage:yes
First Election:yes
Party1:Republican Party (Northern Mariana Islands)
Seats1:9
Party2:Democratic Party (Northern Mariana Islands)
Seats2:8
Seats3:3

The 2020 Northern Mariana Islands general election were held on Tuesday, 3 November, 2020,[1] corresponding with the 2020 United States general elections. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands voted for the non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, 3 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all twenty seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, seats for the municipal council, seats for the board of education, 1 justice, and 2 judges.

This election oversaw the return of the CNMI Democratic Party as a major force in CNMI politics for the first time in a decade.[2] [3] 2020 also saw the first time a party was able to challenge the CNMI Republican Party since the Covenant Party was dissolved in 2013. Four incumbent representatives that were elected as independents announced that they would run for re-election as Democrats while another independent aligns with the party.[4] [5] Prior to the 2020 election, the Democrats had not won a legislative seat since their last wins in the 2007 general elections. The result of the 2020 general election was that the CNMI had experienced a blue wave, with the Democrats controlling nearly half the house and adding a member to the senate. The Republicans lost the trifecta it held since the 2016 Northern Mariana Islands general election and the single-party system it held since 2013. Voter turnout was at 72.05%, lower than the previous general elections election years of 2018, which was 77.4%, and 2014, which was 76.7%.[6]

Delegate to the US House of Representatives

See main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Northern Mariana Islands.

Incumbent Delegate Gregorio Sablan, an independent who caucuses with the Democratic Party, ran uncontested for re-election. Sablan, first elected in 2008, had held the seat since its creation in 2009. Delegate Gregorio Sablan was re-elected. The Northern Mariana Islands' non-voting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives are elected for a two-year term.

Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature

Results summary

PartiesHouse Election ResultsSeat Change Party Strength - style ="background:#e9e9e9"20182020+/−Strength
  align = center 13 align = center 9 align = center 4 align = center 45.00%-   align = center 0 align = center 8 align = center 8 align = center 40.00%-   align = center 7 align = center 3 align = center 4 align = center 15.00%- style = "background:#ccc"Totals2020100.00%

Senate

The Northern Mariana Islands Senate is the upper house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature, consisting of nine senators representing three senatorial districts (Saipan & the Northern Islands, Tinian & Aguijan, and Rota), each a Multi-member district with three senators. Each district had one seat open for the 2020 elections.

House of Representatives

The Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives is the lower house of the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature. The house has seven districts and five of the seven are Multi-member district. In 2019, a four-way race took place for a single seat in district 3 after its became vacant when Republican Rep. Francisco Dela Cruz died in January 2019. Republican Party candidate Marco Taisakan Peter was the victor.[7] All twenty seats were up for the 2020 elections.

Justices

JusticeFor retentionAgainst retentionTotal -Votes%Votes% - Robert Camacho Naraja9,83681.28%2,26618.72%12,102 -

Judges

JudgeFor retentionAgainst retentionTotal -Votes%Votes% - Robert Camacho Naraja10,23684.48%1,88115.52%12,117 - Kenneth Lewis Govendo9,59279.96%2,40420.04%11,996 -

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020-11-02 . Alcohol ban on Election Day . 2023-06-02 . Saipan Tribune . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2020-11-17 . 2020 CNMI General Election Results . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20210812054019/https://www.votecnmi.gov.mp/archive/97-archive/election-results/139-2020-general-election-results . 2021-08-12 . 2024-04-21 . Commonwealth Election Commission.
  3. Web site: Manglona . Thomas . June 19, 2020 . CNMI's democrats looking for a comeback . 2024-05-08 . www.kuam.com . en.
  4. Web site: 2020-06-18 . Why I'm running as a Democrat and why the CNMI needs a two-party system . 2023-06-02 . Saipan Tribune . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2020-06-16 . Four lawmakers declare as Democrats; one aligns with bloc . 2023-06-02 . Saipan Tribune . en-US.
  6. Web site: 2022-11-13 . Big 76.52% voter turnout . 2023-06-02 . Saipan Tribune . en-US.
  7. Web site: Post . Emmanuel T. Erediano For The Guam Daily . 2019-03-26 . Peter wins House special election . 2023-06-10 . The Guam Daily Post . en.