2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election

2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election

5 November 2005
Gubernatorial election
← 2001
2009 →
 
Candidate Benigno Fitial Heinz Hofschneider
Party Covenant Independent
Running mate Timothy Villagomez David M. Apatang
Popular vote 3,766 3,682
Percentage 27.95% 27.33%

 
Candidate Juan Babauta Froilan Tenorio
Party Republican Democratic
Running mate Diego Benavente Antonio Aguon Santos
Popular vote 3,584 2,440
Percentage 26.60% 18.11%

Governor before election

Juan Babauta
Republican

Elected Governor

Benigno Fitial
Covenant

Senate election
← 2003
2007 →

6 of the 9 seats in the Senate
5 seats needed for a majority
Party Seats
Covenant

3
Republican

3
Democratic

2
Independents

1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
House election
← 2003
2007 →

All 18 seats in the House of Representatives
10 seats needed for a majority
Party Seats
Covenant

7
Republican

7
Democratic

2
Independents

2
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Mayoral elections
← 2001
2009 →

3 Mayors
Party Seats
Covenant

3
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

The 2005 Northern Mariana Islands general election was held on Saturday, 5 November 2005. Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands voted for the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, the non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, attorney general, 6 seats in the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, all eighteen seats in the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, 3 mayors, seats for the municipal council, seats for the board of education, 2 justices, and a judges. There was also a referendum on calling a Constitutional Convention,[1] which was approved by voters.[2]

The gubernatorial election was the closest in the commonwealth's history, and resulted in the election of Benigno Fitial, narrowly defeating independent Heinz Hofschneider by 84 votes and incumbent Republican Governor Juan N. Babauta by an additional 98 votes. This would be the last year that the gubernatorial race would work in a first-past-the-post voting system as it would be reformed to work under a two-round system for the 2009 general elections.[3] This election made commonwealth history by electing both the territory's first Carolinian governor and its first third party governor.[4]

  1. ^ "Babauta wants 'concon' question in '05 polls". Saipan Tribune. 2004-09-13. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  2. ^ Northern Mariana Islands, 5 November 2005: Election of a Constitutional Convention Direct Democracy (in German)
  3. ^ Eugenio, Haidee (23 November 2009). "CNMI holds first runoff election". Saipan Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  4. ^ Staff, Variety News (2012-09-14). "Variations: The price of hubris". Marianas Variety News & Views. Retrieved 2023-12-24.