Northern Mariana Islands election on 3 November picks new legislature

Who is running

The Commonwealth Election Commission, which runs elections in the territory, certified 37 candidates for the House of Representatives: 16 Republicans, 16 independents and 5 Democrats. Twelve candidates stand for the Senate: 5 Republicans, 6 independents and 1 Democrat. Independents, who belong to no party, have governed with the Democrats in a coalition since 2023.

The Republican Party, the local branch of the United States party, runs a joint slate led by former governor Ralph Torres. He pledges to revive the economy, bring back flights and pay retiree pensions in full. In Tinian, two Republican senators, Jude Hofschneider and Francisco Cruz, are unopposed. In Saipan's first House district, 13 candidates compete for six seats.

How the vote works

The House has 20 seats in seven districts. Two districts on Saipan, the main island, elect six members each; the others elect one or two. The Senate has nine seats across three districts: Rota, Tinian and Aguiguan, and Saipan with the Northern Islands. A majority takes 11 House seats or 5 Senate seats.

The same ballot elects the governor and lieutenant governor, the delegate to the United States House of Representatives, the attorney general and four mayors. Polls open from 7:00 to 19:00 local time. Voters should bring a photo ID.

How the race got here

Governor Arnold Palacios died on 23 July 2025. Lieutenant Governor David Apatang was sworn in as governor on 24 July 2025. He is not seeking a full term. On 27 March 2026 he endorsed independents Blas Jonathan Attao, a former House speaker, and Edmund Villagomez, the current speaker, for governor and lieutenant governor.

By the filing deadline of 5 August 2026, 75 candidates had filed for all offices. The commission certified 73 of them on 11 August. Voter registration closed on 4 September. Early voting began on 18 September in the Northern Islands and on 27 October on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

What happens next

1. Jul 242025David Apatang sworn in as governor
2. Aug 5Deadline for candidates to file
3. Aug 11Election commission certifies 73 candidates
4. today
5. Oct 27Early voting opens on Saipan, Tinian and Rota
6. Nov 3Election day

Early voting ends on 2 November. The Commonwealth Election Commission counts the ballots after the polls close on 3 November and publishes the results. Campaign materials must be removed from public places by 18 November. The governor's race of 2022 was decided in a runoff.