Benigno Fitial
The second longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Fitial was elected on November 6, 2005, assumed office on January 9, 2006, and was re-elected to a (five-year) second term in 2009.[10] Fitial has described himself in the past as a "good friend" of convicted U.S. lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who caused some controversy in both the Commonwealth and Washington.As vice president of Tan Holdings, Fitial worked closely with Abramoff, who had the family textile conglomerate as a consistent client.He defeated independent candidate Heinz Hofschneider and incumbent Republican Governor Juan N. Babauta during the 2005 gubernatorial election with 28.1 percent of the total vote after absentee ballots were counted.[18] Fitial faced challenges during his first term as governor, including budget shortfalls, a weak economy even before the Financial crisis of 2007–2010, declining Japanese tourism, electrical power generation failures, and the long-proposed federalization of CNMI immigration that was eventually enacted.[12][21] Fitial was away from office for several weeks in late 2006 when he underwent successful surgery at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on October 31 to correct spinal stenosis.[22] Lieutenant Governor Timothy Villagomez resigned from office on April 24, 2009, following his conviction on federal criminal charges related to fraud while he was a member of the CNMI House of Representatives.[5] Fitial was working as a budget analyst, while Inos was employed as a tax manager for the Trust Territory's revenue division at the time.[25] A minority bloc in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' House of Representatives filed an impeachment resolution August 28, 2012 against Governor Fitial, who was at that time in the United States for the Republican National Convention.[26] On June 12, 2009, Fitial presided over Covenant Party midterm rally in Susupe with an estimated crowd of approximately 3,000 people in attendance.[27] Fitial and Inos officially filed to run for re-election with the CNMI Election Commission on July 23, 2009, in the presence of nearly 200 family and supporters.[31] Due to a newly ratified legislative initiative, Fitial was expected to serve a five-year term, as the next gubernatorial election would now be held in 2014.
Governor of the Northern Mariana IslandsTimothy VillagomezEloy InosJuan BabautaSpeaker of the Northern Mariana Islands House of RepresentativesHeinz HofschneiderOscar M. BabautaDiego T. BenaventeJoaquin PangelinanSaipanMariana IslandsSouth Pacific MandateRepublicanCovenantJosie PadiermosUniversity of GuamCovenant PartyRepublican Partyimpeachment trialSatawaleseBachelor of Business Administrationbusiness managementCarolinianCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana IslandsCaroline IslandsFederated States of MicronesiaJosie FitialFilipinoPacific IslanderwaitressJack AbramoffWashingtonGualo RaibudgetanalystTrust Territory of the Pacific IslandsexecutiveTan Holdings Corporationgarmentmanufacturerpolitical party2001 gubernatorial electionrunning mateRita InosJuan N. BabautaDiego BenaventeNorthern Mariana Islands House of Representatives2003 midterm electionSpeakergovernor2005 gubernatorial electionLieutenant GovernorTimothy P. Villagomezdress codebusiness attirecabineteconomyFinancial crisis of 2007–2010JapanesetourismPub.L. 110–229, tit. VIIHoward P. WillensMarianas Political Status CommissionMarianas VarietyDirk KempthornesurgeryUCLA Medical CenterLos Angelesspinal stenosisconvictioncriminal chargesNorthern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Constitutionadvice and consentNorthern Mariana Islands Senaterevenue2009 Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial electionSusupeNovember 2009 gubernatorial electionJuan Pan GuerreroRamon "Kumoi" GuerreroSpeaker of the HousePoliticsNorthern Marianas Republican PartyList of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United StatesSaipan TribuneWayback MachineNational Governors AssociationIslands BusinessRadio New Zealand InternationalEast West CenterMarianas Variety News & ViewsGovernors of the Northern Mariana IslandsCamachoP. TenorioGuerreroF. TenorioBabautaTorresPalacios